Elderly people respond best to a calm and unhurried environment. This is not always easy to provide as theirbehavior can sometimes be irritating. If they get excited or upset then they may become more confused and moredifficult to look after. Although sometimes it can be extremely difficult, it is best to be patient and not to get upsetyourself. You should always encourage old people to do as much as possible for themselves but be ready to lend ahelping hand when necessary.
Failing memory makes it difficult for the person to recall all the basic kinds of information we take for gran-ted. The obvious way to help in this situation is to supply the information that is missing and help them make senseof what is going on. You must use every opportunity to provide information but remember to keep it simply andstraightforward."Good morning, Mum. This is Fiona, your daughter. It is eight o clock, so if you get up now, we canhave breakfast downstairs. "
When the elderly person makes confused statements, e.g. about going out to his or her old employment orvisiting a dead relative, correct in a calm matter-of-fact fashion: "You don t work in the office any more. Youare retired now. Will you come and help me with the dishes？"
We rely heavily on the information provided by signposts, clocks, calendars and newspapers. These assist usto organize and direct our behavior. Confused old people need these aids all the time to compensate for their poormemory. Encourage them to use reminder boards or diaries for important coming events and label the contents ofdifferent cupboards and drawers. Many other aids such as information cards, old photos, scrap books, addressesor shopping lists could help in individual case.
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