Reminiscence Therapy to Manage BPSDs

Assess the need for reminiscence therapy in dementia care and address behavioral and psychological symptoms through holistic, prompt-based conversations using photos, music, and familiar items.

Examine reminiscence therapy for dementia, comparing digital reminiscence therapy with storytelling, and its effects on cognition, depression, engagement, and quality of life through familiar environments and memories.

The capstone focuses on program development by pairing reminiscence therapy with occupational therapy to address behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in memory care and improve quality of life.

Create individualized reminiscence tools to comfort people with dementia and enhance occupational engagement. Explore how client-centered reminiscence therapy with holistic modalities compares to ADL-focused OT in memory care.

Apply the PEOP model to guide reminiscence therapy for adults with dementia, assessing person factors, environment, and meaningful occupations, and using assistive devices and a calming setting to support participation.

Connects reminiscence therapy to occupational therapy themes, highlighting professional responsibility, scholarship, and occupation across the lifespan, while a student-driven capstone fosters accountability and meaningful engagement for adults with dementia.

Collaborate with Northern Iowa Therapy across Rose of Ames, Independence Village, and Rock Creek to use reminiscence tools in memory care, supporting residents and strengthening occupational therapy skills.

Demonstrate reminiscence therapy for dementia-related behaviors. Use the Cohen-Mansfield agitation inventory to establish a caregiver-monitored baseline and assess changes after memory care sessions with family photos and sensory grounding blocks.

Display professionalism, ethics, and advocacy to influence positive change through a reminiscence therapy presentation explaining behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, its benefits, implementation, theory, and supporting evidence.

Develop and use a reminiscence therapy template to gather meaningful information from clients, caregivers, and families, guiding a physical storybook with photos for distress relief and easy documentation.

Gather information from clients, caregivers, and families to create a memory book highlighting what matters: family, faith, experiences, and activities, using a templated interview to support reminiscence therapy.

Explore reminiscence therapy for managing BPSDs through a participant quiz on past activities, prompts like photographs and music, and dementia-related outcomes.

Review the references and PubMed resources used in reminiscence therapy to manage BPSDs, and note avenues for further reading.

Contact the instructor at megan.bolger@drake.edu or call (712) 490-6572 with questions about reminiscence therapy to manage BPSDs.

Thank the doctoral capstone director, Doctor Christine Irish, and educator Sophie Slocum Applegate for their guidance, time, and energy that shaped this course and presentation.