How to Help Grumpy Elderly Patients in the Hospital

As you get older, your body becomes more susceptible to illness and disease. Elderly people are most susceptible due to chronic illness and age-related disabilities. According to "Hospitals and Health Networks," people over the age of 65 occupy approximately 50 percent of all hospital beds. Caring for an elderly patient can be both rewarding and stressful at times. Many factors can cause elderly hospital patients to be grumpy and uncooperative, but there are ways you can help grumpy elderly patients be more comfortable while staying in the hospital.

Instructions

• 1

  Introduce yourself to the elderly patient before attempting to give care. Recognize that elderly people often care for themselves at home and may be embarrassed to have a stranger providing for their personal needs. Take a more personal approach and make the grumpy patient feel more comfortable by introducing yourself and telling him some things about yourself.

• 2

  Spend time with the grumpy elderly patient. Elderly people sometimes suffer from loneliness and depression because they have outlived the rest of their family, or they are separated from family members who live in another state, leaving the patient alone. Show a grumpy patient you care by asking about his life and taking the time to listen to a few stories.

• 3

  Practice patient-centered care by asking if your elderly patient needs anything, rather than assuming all elderly people's needs are the same. This may sound simple, but it is a common mistake people make when taking care of the elderly, and this assumption can make many elderly patients grumpy. The patient may feel he is not recognized as an individual just because he is older, so always ask your patient what he needs.

• 4

  Establish a routine when caring for a disgruntled elderly patient. Having a planned routine will give your elderly patient a significant amount of comfort, because she will know what to expect and understand how her needs are going to be met. Most elderly people have a specific routine at home, so ask what her normal routine is and cater your routine as closely as possible to her home routine.

• 5

  Give your grumpy elderly patient more control over his care. The elderly deal with significant limitations every day, such as difficulty walking, blindness, confusion and forgetfulness, so being in a hospital setting is a scary experience for them. Help your patient feel more in control by helping him take a more active role in his care and provide support when he needs the extra help.

• 6

  Make your grumpy elderly patient feel safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that elderly people are at a higher risk for many types of injuries that can lead to death. Acknowledge that the hospital can be a scary place for elderly patients already at a risk for falls, and make the elderly patient feel as safe as possible in his new surroundings.