Facilitation Technique Category: Therapeutic Reminiscence

Title: The Reminisce Balloon Pop

Source: Reminiscing Activities from https://www.recreationtherapy.com/tx/txrem.htm
Equipment: Balloons of different colors, scissors or a pin, paper and pencil
Activity Description:
Reminiscence is defined as the enjoyable recollection of past events that serves as a
bridge between ones present and ones past (McKenney, Martinez-Cox, & Dattilo,
"Therapeutic Reminiscence"). The purpose of utilizing reminiscence as a therapeutic technique
involves the purposeful process of helping participants retrieve memories of past events. In
The Reminisce Balloon Pop, participants will socialize and interact with other individuals and be
provided the opportunity to reminisce in a safe sharing environment. The first step of this activity
is for the facilitator is to prepare the equipment necessary to complete the activity. The facilitator
must begin by writing a variety of reminisce questions/statements on small slips of paper, with
one question per paper. A few examples are Tell us about your childhood best friend, What
kind of gifts did you receive as a child?, What sort of clothes did you wear?, Tell us about
your first date., What was your first job?, Where did your family go on vacation?. The
facilitator may be creative and alter these questions or create additional questions. Place one
paper into each balloon. Have individuals sit in a circle with the balloons on the floor in the
center of the circle. Have one individual choose a color balloon and pick it up and give it to a
staff member or facilitator, who will pop the balloons with the scissors or pin. The resident will
get the paper, read the question or have it read for them, and answer the question. Once he/she
has answered the question, everyone in the circle will have an opportunity to answer. Then the
next person chooses another balloon and the previous instruction applies. This activity can be
completed with the facilitator to participant ratio of 1:5. It is important to discuss with
participants that he/she demonstrates respect to the other participants answers.
Leadership considerations:
A CTRS can be the facilitator of this activity. Regardless of the title, the facilitator should
have some foundational knowledge on the therapeutic use of reminiscence with different
populations. The facilitator should know the population he/she will be working with in order to
make appropriate adaptations to the activity before implementing the activity. He/she should
understand the different types of reminiscence that can be facilitated. The facilitator should
understand the structure of the intervention impacts the effect. Topics may be chosen, as they are
in this activity, or based on comments made by individuals. The facilitator should provide a
written reminder to individuals on a few of the topics that may be discussed in order for him/her
to have time to organize thoughts. The facilitator should choose an environment that feels as
comfortable as possible to participants. Positioning of the facilitator to be face-to-face level with
the participants and make initial eye contact, as well as calling participants by their preferred
name may be helpful. During the listening stage, it is valuable to be aware of cultural differences
as the listening process occurs. The TR specialist should speak in a normal tone of voice and
allow the individual to see his/her face. As well as, ensure there is an appropriate amount of time
to complete the activity, watch for signs of fatigue, and be prepared to conclude the session if the
individuals unanimously agree.

Adaptations:
Participants who have a Neurocognitive Disorder Alzheimers:
The updated version of the DSM-5 replaced the term dementia with neurocognitive
disorder due to the definition of the word dementia, meaning mad or insane. An
individual who has a neurocognitive disorder displays cognitive deficit. One specific
Neurocognitive disorder, known as Alzheimers, is characterized by plaques forming in the
brain. The plaques destroy brain cells, creating progressive deterioration of higher cognitive
functioning in the areas of memory, problem solving, and thinking. This activity could be
adapted for a participant who has Alzheimers by making it failure free, if one of the topics does
not produce a memory or something the individual can talk about, remind him/her that it is ok
not to share on each topic. Keep the activities simple and decision making to a minimal, this can
frustrate an individual with Alzheimers, as well as keeping the crowds and noise to a minimum.
Provide both verbal and visual instruction, as well as select around the best time of day for the
individuals, when it is seen that they have more energy. It is important to adapt the activity to
establish a routine with this and take turns.
Participants who have had a Traumatic Brain Injury:
A traumatic brain injury is a form of acquired brain injury that occurs from a direct
trauma to the brain and can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Individuals are classified
as having a mild traumatic brain injury if they receive a score of 13-15 on the Glasgow Coma
Scale (GCS) and experience headache, fatigue, sleep disturbances, irritability, sensitivity to
noise or light, balance problems, decreased concentration or attention, decreased speed of
thinking, memory problems, nausea, blurry vision, dizziness, depression, anxiety, emotional
mood swings, and/or seizures. A traumatic brain injury is classified as moderate when there is
loss of consciousness, along with persistent confusion and functional impairments in one or more
of the cognitive, physical, emotional, or behavioral domains, along with a GCS score of 8-12
and is classified as severe when there is prolonged unconscious state or coma with a GCS score
less than 8. (Porter, "38. Traumatic Brain Injury.", 2015). This activity would be best to be
utilized with individuals who have had a mild or moderate brain injury.
To adapt this activity to the individual would be to allow for the speed of the activity to
be slower paced. Be sure to provide frequent breaks. The facilitator should be sure to use a
gentle, slow tone when talking to participants and due to communication issues, the facilitator
can provide nonverbal cues to alert the participant when he/she is going off the topic of the
question. Provide individuals with calendars, notes, and phone calls to increase attendance and
participation. Try to refrain from using abstract or general terms when describing something, as
well as provide an example or a relatable activity that the participant may easier identify with. Be
aware of individuals with sensitivity to loud noises, and adapt the balloon popping to piercing a
small hole into the balloon and slowly letting the air out.
Adaptations References:
-

By Olwen Hutchinson Of Mind On March 28, 2009. (n.d.). Reminiscing Activities.

Retrieved October 26, 2016, from https://www.recreationtherapy.com/tx/txrem.htm
Activities for People with Alzheimer's Disease. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2016, from
http://assets.aarp.org/external_sites/caregiving/homeCare/engaging_activities.html

Porter, H. R. (2015). 38. Traumatic Brain Injury. In

Recreational Therapy for Specific Diagnoses and
Conditions (pp. 407-416). Enumclaw, WA: Idyll Arbor.
McKenney, A., Martinez-Cox, L., & Dattilo, J. (n.d.).
Therapeutic Reminiscence. In Facilitation Techniques in
Therapeutic Recreation (3rd ed., pp. 411-435). Venture
Publishing.
Dattilo, John. Inclusive Leisure Services. 3rd ed. State College, PA: Venture Pub., 1999.
Print.