Narrative Therapy and Elders with Memory Loss

Abstract

Elders with memory loss often experience anxiety and depression as they feel their identities slip out of their own control. The paper argues that narrative therapy can help people with dementia revise their stories and reclaim their identities as their personal histories become less accessible to them. The paper presents case examples in which unique outcomes emerged when elders with memory loss resisted the cultural imperative to perceive their lives in sequential order and instead emphasized character traits and thematic patterns in their stories. The paper recommends ways to adapt narrative therapy so elders can create a meaningful sense of self despite dementia.