The effectiveness of counselling with older people: results of a systematic review

In 2003 the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) commissioned a systematic review of the research evidence relating to counselling older people. This paper reports on some of the findings of this review, particularly those which address the effectiveness of counselling with this population. Electronic searches of the research literature spanned six databases and were supplemented by hand-searches of reference lists and key journals, along with an extensive search of the “grey” literature. The location of papers testing interventions which fall within a definition of counselling set out by the BACP, with samples aged 50 years of age or above resulted in the inclusion of 47 relevant studies. Studies investigated a variety of mental health problems in older people, particularly depression, anxiety, dementia and the psychological impact of physical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Of the 47 studies, eight tested counselling as a generic treatment, 15 tested cognitive behavioural therapy, 13 tested reminiscence therapy, and 11 tested various other specific approaches. The review concluded that counselling is efficacious with older people, particularly in the treatment of anxiety and depression and outcomes are consistent with those found in younger populations. Evidence as to the efficacy of counselling interventions in the treatment of dementia is weak

The Effect of Reminiscence Therapy on Increasing Cognitive Function in the Elderly

Reminiscence therapy is proven to be effective in reducing cognitive disorders among the elderly. However, there are some differences in the method of giving reminiscence therapy, so that further research is needed to determine these differences. This study aimed to determine differences in the effectiveness of mindfulness reminiscence in reducing cognitive disorders in the elderly. This study used a pre-post test quasi-experimental design with a control group. The sample consisted of the elderly at Tresna Werdha Orphanage Glenmore (n = 60) who were divided into 2 groups, namely the intervention group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 30). Data collection of cognitive disorders was taken from the component of cognitive disorders questions on the MMSE questionnaire. Data analysis used paired and unpaired t-test. The results showed that reminiscence therapy was effective in reducing cognitive disorders in the elderly

Interior Design as a tool for dementia care

This book investigates the role of interior design in the enhancement of the effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological therapies for Alzheimer’s disease care. The author presents the conceptual model for an environmental system called “Therapeutic Habitat”, meant as a system of environmental interventions, based on tangible and intangible aspects, products and furniture, objects and services. Its aim is to enhance the well-being of people with dementia and stimulate recognition and interaction with the surrounding environment