The life review process in group as a therapeutic resource for elderly in Occupational Therapy

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This article reports on a group intervention focused on life review, so that elderly could both evoke their memories and reflect on their activities of interest and life projects. OBJECTIVES: Describe and analyse the performed group intervention. METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES: An intervention-research carried out with seven elderly, users of a daycare center in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2006. It included nine encounters and the analysis of behaviors and opinions of elderly about the process that was held. Data were obtained through interviews and observation and analysed in their content. RESULTS: Elderly pondered over the possibility of having life project and presented that the group propitiated an expansion of social contact and their mutual identification. The intervention corroborated to increase aged relational network and to resignify the ederlies life trajectories and their own aging. CONCLUSION: Working with the life review process can be considered as an important resource to be used by occupational therapists in the care of the elderly population.