How to Aid Patients Suffering from Memory Loss or Confusion?

Some patients suffer from mental trauma, confusions, memory loss, strokes, understanding problems and lack of problem-solving. As a CNA professional, you need to give special treatment and respect to these patients. You must also maintain their dignity while dealing with them.

There are a few things to be kept in mind while treating such patients:

• • Before entering the room of the patient who is suffering from mental trauma and confusions, you must first knock the door. Then enter the room and call out his/her name in a compassionate and clear voice.
  • Instead of making the conversation complicated, keep it short and simple by talking to the point.
  • Whenever you give any instructions to the patient, address him/her by his/her name.
  • While talking to the patient, always speak in a soft and polite manner. There can be situations when patient does not reply you back or answers harshly. Patients may be experiencing different medical conditions or may be undergoing pain or mental trauma. Therefore, you must understand their condition and answer their queries or instruct them in a calm and composed way.

• • You must never ignore what the patient is saying or is trying to say. He may want to tell you about the medical condition that is bothering him, or he may want something. In certain cases, CNAs are not able to understand the patient’s requirements. In such a case, the patients must be allowed to speak up and you must listen to them carefully.

• Always be in a good mood as patients notice it easily and they might feel more comfortable if you are in a happy and tranquil mood.
• Patients are too weak to process much information at a time. Therefore, never confuse them by telling several things since they can’t remember all at once. Give them options instead of asking questions from them.
• In case the patient is tired or frustrated, then you must give him a break and allow him to rest. Slow down the process that you are using on him. You may resume the process once he feels revitalized.
• If the patient is unable to recall his memory, never play with him. Instead, always make him aware of the reality and keep him in the present.
• Understand the patient’s problem. Try to make him understand the reality and about the procedure you are applying on him. If they find difficulty in communicating with you, then be calm and ask them to take a deep breath and relax for some time. Your unruffled behavior and care will help the patients recover fast.