The Benefits of Life Review, Essay Example

The subject of this life review is M.S., a 76-year old white female. M.S. has been married to her husband for 58 years, and they currently reside in the town of Leander, Texas. As M.S. recounted some of the details of her life, one particular theme emerged: despite facing many challenges, difficulties, and even tragedies as a child and as an adult, her faith in God and her stoic attitude helped see her through these difficult times. Though M.S. now expresses some specific concerns related the current state of her health and her husband’s health, she expresses few regrets about the past, and seems generally content with her life.

M.S. was raised in West Texas, and despite being raised by two parents who each possessed a strong work ethic, her childhood was marked by economic challenges. M.S. was one of six children (two boys and two girls), and as the oldest of the girls she was faced with taking on many chores and duties around the house. Her father passed away when she was only 16 years old; this placed more pressure on M.S. to help around the house while her older brother worked to help support the family after their father’s death. M.S. did complete high school, but married soon after graduation. By age 21 she had moved with her husband to be near his family and gave birth to the first of her two children the same year.

M.S. describes the births of her children as the happiest days of her life, and seems content and proud to have been a stay-at-home mom while her husband worked at a local factory. As an adult her church was central to her social and personal life, and she professes to having lived a simple life that has been filled with difficulties and blessings. M.S. has had to content with several serious medical issues as an adult, including a bout of pneumonia that prompted both her and her husband to quit smoking. M.S. is concerned that he declining health may make it difficult for her to get around in the years to come, but also professes gratitude for now getting to spend time with her husband, her grandchildren, and the rest of her family.

The process of undertaking a life review has long been shown to provide benefits to aging individuals or those who are facing end-of-life issues. While simply reminiscing about the events of one’s life can be an enjoyable experience for people of all ages, the concept of a life review is more than just reminiscing. Life review involves a structured or guided process in which a subject is prompted to recall events and experiences related to many of life’s major milestones, important relationships, and other issues of significance and importance. Studies have shown that the process of undertaking a life review can allow subjects to experience greater satisfaction with their lives as they reach old age (umsl.edu, 2014)). Because life review has been shown to provide such potential benefits, it has become a notable component of care or treatment in the field of gerontology, and is used by social workers, hospice, spiritual leaders, and others who are involved with subjects and patients who are facing end-of-life issues.

Life review and reminiscence share some common traits, but they are not the same thing. Reminiscence is simply the act of recalling memories. Life review is a more formal and structured process, and calls upon subjects to recall things that might otherwise be forgotten. The life review process may involve using interview-style questions or other prompts to guide the subject in reviewing past events. Life review is a more purposeful undertaking than simple reminiscence, and can allow subjects to make meaning from the events of his or her life. In the context of life review, psychological development is seen as a process that does not end with adolescence, but continues over a lifetime (Jenko et al, 2007). Life review can allow subjects to see how specific events fit into the larger whole of one’s life, and can give subjects a greater sense of satisfaction about the entirety of his or her life.

The positive benefits of life review can have specific effects on a variety of different areas. While reminiscence about certain memories can be pleasurable, it can also be difficult if an individual focuses on negative or traumatic events. The life review process allows subjects to go beyond reminiscence, which can be random or unfocused, and to review a range of memories, both positive and negative (Jenko et al., 2007). In this manner, the significant events of one’s life can be put in context, making it possible for the individual to see how even the negative events of life are balanced out by positive events and experiences. In the case of M.S., her life review allowed her to discuss the death of her father, which was obviously a painful experience, while also seeing how that trauma gave her strength and resilience she would need as an adult and the parent of two children. Among the most important benefits of the life review process is that in can help aging (or dying) subjects to see the entire scope of their lives, and to feel more satisfied or content as they near the end of their lives. When asked how she felt about her life, M.S. responded that she was happy with overall, despite all the difficulties she had faced. She seemed to appreciate the fact that she had lived long enough to now enjoy the simple pleasures of being a grandparent, with the responsibilities of parenthood behind her.

The benefits of life review can extend beyond just this personal or internal sense of satisfaction or well-being, and can have an impact on other aspects of an individual’s life. In cases where subjects are suffering from geriatric depression, the benefits of life review can help to ease the problems and symptoms associated with this condition (lifebio.com, n.d.). Subjects who undergo life review may also experience improvements in social interaction; such improvements may be with family members, or even the staff members of nursing homes or other care facilities, depending on the individual’s specific circumstances.  For subjects who are experiencing cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or other conditions, life review has been shown to provide some positive benefits related to recall and cognitive functions (lifebio.com, n.d.).

Beyond the positive effects that life review can have on individuals in terms of their sense of well-being and satisfaction, the act of recounting and recording the specific events of one’s life can have benefits that extend to other family members. The act of sharing stories from one generation to the next has always been an important part of the human experience, and it is among the fundamental elements of the way cultures transmit knowledge and values (Haber, 2006). The life review process can be an important way for families to trace their histories and to pass valuable stories and life lessons to future generations. Some of the elements of these histories may simply be entertaining or interesting, but some may offer significant insight into learning about, understanding, and overcoming the challenges life can impose.

The benefits, goals, and potential positive outcomes of life reviews are underpinned and explained by a number of psychological theories and frameworks. Among the most notable of these are Erickson’s stages of psychosocial development. In short, Erickson described a series of stages of development that a typical healthy individual would pass through between infancy and late adulthood. Although all of the stages described by Erickson are valuable in terms of offering insight into human development, it is the final stage that is most relevant in the context of a discussion about the life review process. Erickson posited that older adults who are nearing the end of their lives will tend to look back over their lives; those who are generally satisfied with their lives will achieve a state of “ego integrity,” while those who are dissatisfied or unhappy with their lives will feel despair (Haber, 2006).

What makes the process of life review applicable in the context of this stage of development is the promise it shows for helping individuals achieve a state of satisfaction and well-being. For those who have reached old age (or who are facing other end-of-life issues, such as being faced with a terminal illness) and who are reviewing their lives through the lens of despair, there is, of course, no real opportunity to undo mistakes or to make different choices.  The evidence related to the life review process has shown that it can help individuals overcome feelings of despair, trauma, or other negative emotions related to the past (Jenko et al., 2007; Haber, 2006). Life review allows subjects to integrate the events and experiences that are painful or traumatic into the larger context of an entire life, which can help individuals balance the negative experiences with the positive ones. To the extent that life review can allow individuals to move beyond feelings of despair and become m ore content and satisfied, it is a process that can help individuals reach a stage of ego integrity as they near the end of life.

While it is difficult to make any definite determinations about an individual’s level of ego integration after a single interview, there seems to be no question that M.S. has reached a fairly high number on Erickson’s scale. There may be some issues that were not discussed I the interview that would support a conclusion that she is at a number less than 10, but based on the available information she must be at no less than an 8. When asked directly whether she was generally satisfied with her life, M.S. replied “overall, my life was happy. I have a great husband and raised two wonderful kids, have gotten to experience four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. My family is close and we all get along. I have a lot to be thankful for.” M.S. did not mention having any notable unfinished goals or significant regrets, and appears to be grateful to have her husband, her children, and her grandchildren as central figures in her life. This would seem to indicate a high degree of ego integrity, as M.S. expresses no desire to have lived her life any differently than she has.

References

Haber, D. (2006). Life review: Implementation, theory, research, and therapy. The International Journal Of Aging And Human Development, 63(2), 153–171.

Jenko, M., Gonzalez, L., & Seymour, M. (2007). Life review with the terminally ill. Journal Of Hospice \& Palliative Nursing, 9(3), 159–167.

LifeBio, Inc.,. (2014). Reminiscence in the Delivery of Quality Service: How Recording Life Stories Impacts the Lives of People with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, or those with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Los Angeles Times Articles,. (1989). Elderly Benefit From Reminiscing : Experts on Aging Say Outlook Improves When Past Is Reviewed. Retrieved 23 August 2014, from http://articles.latimes.com/1989-04-27/news/vw-1832_1_nursing-homes-life-review-nursing-home

Umsl.edu,. (2014). Life Review Project. Retrieved 23 August 2014, from http://www.umsl.edu/~meusert/LifeReview/what_is_life_review.html