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Reminiscence, or the process of thinking or telling about past experience, is thought to serve social, instrumental, and integrative functions. Our paper investigated these functions in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Twenty-six participants with a clinical diagnosis of probable mild AD and 28 control older adults filled in a French adaptation of the Reminiscence Functions Scale. Eight specific functions were assessed: death preparation, identity, problem-solving, teaching/informing, conversation, boredom reduction, bitterness revival, and intimacy maintenance. Both older adults and AD participants reported reminiscence about their past to prepare themselves for the idea of their own mortality. All participants also reported reminiscence "to reduce boredom" and "for something to do". However, reminiscence for death preparation and boredom reduction was reported more by AD participants than by older adults. In all participants, the death preparation function of reminiscence was significantly correlated with depression. Individuals with AD seem to reminiscence to cope with thoughts about their own mortality. This helps them to see that they have lived a full life and can therefore accept death more calmly. Individuals with AD also seem to cope with boredom by using reminiscence, probably as a tool to fill time or simply to create ease of conversation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the views of France-based author and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir about life review. In her book "The Coming of Age," Beauvoir stated that life review or the remembrance of past things does not constitute the identity of older people, therefore meaningless. Beauvoir believed that one's identity is created by one's actions, and one is defined by one's projects or activities. In her book, Beauvoir also stressed that memory is by its very nature the exact opposite of the future-oriented project.

Lynn Vivier-Foucart testifies here to her dual experience as a volunteer storyteller for the association Âge d'or de France and as a palliative care attendant. It is a question of transmitting and giving, of receiving and restoring that which, through natural empathy with elderly people in residential homes for the dependent elderly, can contribute, if not to awaken memories, at least to give pleasure. And to listen to the person accompanying them., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The comparison between the memories productions of residents in a nursing home through two reminiscence activities, one including olfaction and not the other one, can highlight an increasing occurrence of recent memories in the case of olfactory activity. A longer talk time is also observed and a better self-esteem can be assessed. This suggests the possibility of a specific relational and psychotherapeutic work., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)