The Reminiscence, Communication & Interaction Service

The Reminiscence, Communication & Interaction Service
Funded by: The Tudor Trust, The Peter Minet Trust, The Bridge House Trust and Help the Aged

"The recollection of life-time experiences with older people"

Reminiscence offers the opportunity for interaction and is the initial block for building relationships and communication. The idea of reminiscing is not just remembering, but communicating and sharing with others.

Services available:

6x Reminiscence sessions + Visit to the museum + training for 2 staff members + advice and support. This is available for a small fee; please contact us for details.

Training Courses for care staff, managers, relatives and volunteers include ‘How to develop your skills in Reminiscence’ and
‘Understanding Dementia’
Our service covers a number of South London boroughs.
Our staff run reminiscence groups for older people suffering from dementia related illness and a variety of different support needs. These sessions run weekly for 6-8 weeks, and take place in residential, nursing homes and
day centres.
This is done by using artefacts from the museum, along with books and music used as stimuli.
The reminiscence, communication and interaction groups provide an opportunity for older people to recall memories of family, events and experiences from their lives.
These sessions also provide opportunities for social contact and for both group members and staff to share their memories and learn from one another.
Training is regularly held at the Pumphouse.
This gives carers, relative's etc the chance to come along and learn how to reminisce with their clients/ relatives.
The course "How to develop your skills in reminiscence" runs for one day, for fees please contact the Pumphouse on 020 7231 2976.


However frail the memory or the person, reminiscence, communication and interaction represents a foundation for forming all kinds of relationships that can help illuminate understanding of the very nature of care itself.

To us the most important thing about reminiscence is to concentrate on the people, not the past.