Trachelospermum jasminoidesRejuvenate a Star Jasmine,

I have a 10 year old Star Jasmine in a large, (2ft x 3ft x3ft), redwood container, that's at least 20 feet tall growing up a trellis. I must admit that I have never
trimmed it back, or try to clean out the small dead vines and dead leaves that accumulate deep inside of the plant. Untidy looking, but puzzling to me as to where to start without doing damage or cutting it back too much. It's located right next to our front door.
It's a huge beautiful plant when in bloom, and the sweet fragrance drifts into the house when the door is opened. Sorry, for rambling.
Anyway, Somehow the drip lines quit delivering water to the poor thing for who knows how long. I'm disabled and don't get to the front door very often, so I'm blaming my husband who takes care of outside irrigation. At least it was during the very mild winter we had. We're in the desert and it reached 90 degrees here last week already. We're back to the 70's again , now.
My husband wants to get on a ladder and just trim it back lightly, leaving all those dead vines and leaves because he knows it will take a couple of years to bloom again.
I think it needs to be cut back much further, maybe to some main multiple trunks?
My question to you is: how far back? I'd like to leave it some what longer to appease my husband, but it's health and vigor are more important. I need advice and back-up from you, if you would be so kind. I took some pictures, but failed to put some sort of measurement gauge next to the plant. My bad...lol.
Hopefully, between the two of us, I'll get the idea, it's not rocket science....
I really need your advice in print that I can give to my husband, as he'll be doing the actual work. Well, I guess I'll TRY to do the cutting lower down on the trunk-(?). If that's what you advise, and as much assurance as you can give me that this operation will work and we'll have our beautiful Star Jasmine restored. We'll replace the potting mix while we're at it, of course. Is there anything else we should do? Bone meal, slow release fertilizer, extra water, less water?
Well, I guess all that's left to do is attach the photos and hope that you think it can be saved. IF I can find it, the first photo will be of the Trachelospermum jasminoides in full bloom. It sits to the left of the door and grows up a trellis which is curved at the top surrounding a window above the door.
Thank You very much to whomever, (is that right?), is willing to give me advice in this matter. I appreciate ALL of your help very much.
I love Dave's Garden, Sincerely, Diane Huff

*****I'm going to post just these 3 because I'm having trouble uploading the photos and I would scream if I lost this very long message. Sorry I talk so much. I'll upload the rest of the pics on the next message--I hope!!!

I don't understand why my message came up three times!
It kept saying that my photos failed to upload due to being "undefined".
I had lost my internet connection because my provider was under going maintenance, and it really interfered with our connection to the point I had to call my provider's tech and get professional help.

Well anyway, let me TRY to upload my remaining photos.
Keeping my figures crossed.

Made it--From the bottom to the top. It will regrow if I cut it back, right?

Diane - plants don't age like animals. Animals age chronologically, plants age ontogenetically, with the newest tissues to form on the plant being the oldest. We take advantage of that fact when we undertake rejuvenation pruning because tissues retain their ontogenetic ages. What this means is, the tissues closest to the root to shoot transition zone are the most juvenile and therefore the most vigorous. Small wonder we call it rejuvenation pruning, seeing that we're pruning back to more juvenile tissues.

That said, when you rejuvenate this plant, you should rejuvenate the roots as well. Ideally, you would cut back both the roots and top of the plant so future growth isn't limited by a preponderance of heavy roots in the container and root congestion. Root congestion affects both growth and vitality, so regular root maintenance of plants in containers is an essential part of offering your plants the best opportunity to realize their genetic potential.

Al