Trying to be well organised, to keep things in the same place and to follow a regular routine is obviously advantageous. Knowing what to expect reduces the demands on memory and planning for change well in advance will minimise disruption. The fear and embarrassment of saying or doing something foolish or of letting someone down and the constant effort of trying to cover up for mistakes can be very wearing. The associated loss of confidence, anxiety and stress will only make the problem worse and life more difficult. It is nearly always helpful to be honest when the mind goes blank or some detail or name cannot be recalled.
Most people tend to make use of some memory aids in their everyday life.
These generally take the form of external aids such as shopping lists, using a diary, writing a note on your hand, or asking other people to remember things for you. Indeed the reason that healthy older people left to their own devices are often more reliable than young at remembering appointments and birthdays is because they make greater use of external cues and reminders. All these memory aids reduce the pressure to remember and anxiety about forgetting and enable the individual to get on with life. They are especially valuable for those with age-associated memory impairment or early dementia. This may be useful as a prompt, especially for remembering regular events, such as taking medication.