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"Guided autobiography," write the authors, "is ideally suited to foster in the older adult a belief that his or her life is meaningful and something of which to be proud." This book helps professionals—at senior centers, community centers, and other service facilities—guide older adults and others in preparing their autobiographies.
Many older
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"Guided autobiography," write the authors, "is ideally suited to foster in the older adult a belief that his or her life is meaningful and something of which to be proud." This book helps professionals—at senior centers, community centers, and other service facilities—guide older adults and others in preparing their autobiographies.
Many older adults, the authors explain, have limited social networks. Widowhood, retirement, and other "involuntary transitions" create a loss of roles, which can damage the older adult's sense of identity and self-worth. Guided autobiography can be used very effectively with such persons—to promote their general well- being, develop friendships, and create increased feelings of self-sufficiency.
The book's chapters treat such topics as eliciting themes from people's lives, promoting creative thinking, facilitating group interaction, and mastering obstacles in the group process. Based on the authors' fourteen years of experience leading groups in guided autobiography, this book will be of special interest to gerontologists, psychologists, social workers, and other professionals who conduct activity programs for older people.
How older adults can explore their fabrics of life in guided autobiographical groups is told with lucidity and richness of detail... After 14 years of experience, the authors have developed a procedure that has obvious great usefulness for activity programmes in a variety of settings.
The book is more than a how-to manual but less than a footnote-laden scholarly tome. There is both a necessary and sufficient discussion of the pragmatic aspects of conducting guided autobiography, but there is also... a succinct discussion of the related literature... It should be of interest to all those who plan and conduct programs or other activities for the elderly.
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