Review of RYCTT project: Czech Republic

Highlights of our project

The 2-day training course

“Excellent overview of ideas about how to remember and play”

“Description and then drawing the memories was an amazing discovery for me”.

A trainee

A 2-day training course was delivered by trainers who had already participated in Pam Schweitzer’s courses: Hana Janeckova, University teacher, Hana Cizkova, High School Teacher, and Renata Nentvichova Novotna, trainee social worker
A theoretical background was built into the course and we required apprentices to establish and work with their own reminiscence groups.

After participating in the course:

One of the participants used her new skills in connection with her research project and included reminiscence in the syllabus for nursing studies
Jana, another trainee, opened her own home for seniors and implemented the so-called ‘reminiscence culture’ there
Alena used the idea of collages, improved it very creatively (with textile applications) and used it in her bachelor thesis on reminiscence at the University, for which she won the Dean’s prize

Apprenticeship

There were 20 students enlisted on our apprenticeship project - 19 women and 1 man, including those with backgrounds as social workers, nurses, students of psychology and professional carers
There were 10 sessions held involving families, 8 of which were led by apprentices
Active participation was required of all apprentices, taking the form of planning the sessions, bringing the triggers, creation of the environment, supporting of the families, writing up sessions, observation, writing up debriefing notes, circulating these written records to all other apprentices, volunteers and group leaders

Trainees

The apprentices were assessed by three lecturers, Hana Janeckova, Hana Cizkova and Renata Nentvichova Novotna
They completed practical work, written assignments and oral presentations. Observation of the trainees during their work on the project was also very relevant
20 trainees successfully graduated as Faciliators of RYCT and received an accreditation certificate

Families we worked with

10 families participated in our project. 26 people with dementia, 30 family carers were included in small groups created individually by the apprentices to prove their ability to lead a reminiscence group.

Positive reactions of carers:

“I can understand my mother´s behaviour better. I enjoy going out with her and I talk more to her.“

“I cope with the situation much better than before.“
“I feel I have more energy.“
“I have more backbone to cope with everything.“
“Being with my wife (with dementia) I feel safe and at peace.“
“I have got to know my father much better.”
“I was surprised how stimulating this new experience was.”
“I am feeling relaxed and satisfied because I now know it is possible to have nice experiences.”

“I experience more emotions and I don’t feel guilty anymore.
“I am not worried about the future.“
“I feel moved.”

Some negative feelings were also expressed during the sessions:

I do not feel good spending time with my mother.”
“I feel tired, and I am afraid that everything will get more complicated in the coming years.“

“I feel stressed and depressed.”
“I am not feeling any emotions, I stay untouched, numb“.
“My husband is getting more and more dependent on me.“
“I blame myself for everything.”