Discuss the practice of life review in late adulthood

What will be an ideal response?

Reminiscence involves telling stories about people and events from the past and reporting associated thoughts and feelings. Most older adults engage in a special form of reminiscence called life review—calling up past experiences with the goal of achieving greater self-understanding—as part of attaining ego integrity. Older adults who participate in counselor-led life review report increased self-esteem, greater sense of purpose in life, and reduced depression. But many older people who are high in self-acceptance and life satisfaction spend little time evaluating their past. Today's seniors in industrialized nations are largely present- and future-oriented: They seek avenues for personal growth and fulfillment. Clearly, life review is not essential for adapting well to late adulthood. Indeed, reminiscence that is self-focused, engaged in to reduce boredom and revive bitter events, is linked to adjustment problems. Compared with younger people, older adults less often engage in this ruminative form of reminiscence. For young and old alike, reminiscence often occurs during times of life transition. Older adults who have recently retired, been widowed, or moved to a new residence may turn temporarily to the past to sustain a sense of personal continuity. During these times, reminiscing about positive memories probably helps them recapture a sense of meaning.