Validation is a technique that shows you respect and value your patient's feelings and beliefs. Rather, ask her to tell you more about her mother. Reminiscence, in fact, is an effective therapeutic communication and validation technique even for elderly patients who don't have delirium or dementia. At night, be sure to provide adequate lighting. Whether or not your elderly patient is cognitively impaired, offer to walk her to the bathroom or help her onto the bedpan every 2 hours while she's awake.
Many falls occur when patients try to get to the bathroom by themselves.
Unless your patient requests that her side rails remain up, keep them down to prevent injury. Keeping the side rails up on every patient over age 65 is no longer the standard of care, yet the practice is still common. The reason to keep them down is that the patient is more likely to hurt herself if she gets out of bed while they're raised. Split rails are especially hazardous because she could become wedged between them. Lower the bed to the lowest position.