A Casework Intervention Study Of Life Review Therapy To Enhance Self-Esteem Levels Of The Semi-Disabled Elderly

With the further aging of society,the number of disabled and semi-disabled elderly people in China will also increase in the future.For the elderly group,we should not only focus on their material needs,but also pay attention to their psychological development.Because of their aging physical functions,limited mobility and illness,the disabled and semi-disabled elderly are prone to feelings of uselessness and self-denial,which affect their self-esteem level and reduce the quality of life in their later years.It is also very important to differentiate and effectively respond to different elderly groups.The semi-disabled elderly differ from the severely disabled elderly in terms of self-care ability,family contribution and social value,and they still have partial self-care ability.There is a relatively long process from semi-disability to full disability.If they can make good adjustment to the physical status quo in terms of self-esteem level and other psychological aspects,they can still contribute to their families and participate in society to some extent.In this study,we investigated the effectiveness of the casework intervention of life review therapy on enhancing the self-esteem level of the semi-disabled elderly.First,information about the client was collected using the interview and observation methods.The degree of disability and self-esteem were measured using the Activity of Daily Living Scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.The client was assessed as a semi-disabled and low self-esteem level elderly,which the self-esteem level score was 21.Next,the problems of the client such as denial of self-worth,sense of uselessness due to her old age and disability,excessive focus on her defects and deficiencies,and lack of family care and understanding were analyzed.Then,life review therapy was used to intervene with the client,and a total of seven case services were conducted to help her accept herself,find her strengths,reconstruct her perceptions,and strengthen family support by reviewing her past life experiences,contributions,and life highlights.Finally,a post-test of the client self-esteem level was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the intervention.After the self-esteem level post-test,the client’s self-esteem level score improved to 28.After the intervention,the client was able to affirm her self-worth,accept herself,discover her strengths and resources,and would view herself more positively and optimistically.The study results suggest that the casework intervention of life review therapy helps to improve the self-esteem level of the semi-disabled elderly.Life review therapy fits the psychological needs of the elderly who like to recall the past.The increase in self-esteem of the semi-disabled elderly is important for themselves.