Football reminiscence: A reminiscence therapy group on a dementia inpatient ward centred around the sport of football

Abstract

Reminiscence therapy aims to discuss events and experiences from a person’s past with the hope to support recollection of memories and improve the quality of life for people living with dementia. A football reminiscence group was set up on a dementia unit to see if the benefits reflected those in the literature. The groups ran once a week for 30–45 minutes and comprised of 11 weekly sessions. Each session involved a specific football related topic and was set up to be as inclusive as possible with a dependable structure. The data collected suggests the football reminiscence group was a successful and valued intervention. The group was designed to be as inclusive as possible which allowed participation from patients with moderate to severe dementia. It is hoped the success of this group can be replicated in the future and will continue to improve the wellbeing of people living with dementia in hospital.