Forgetfulness in elders: strategies for protective caregiving.

Nurses working with elders know from experience that an elder being viewed as forgetful negatively affects both the quality and the quantity of elders' social relationships. Avoiding stigmatization, in the presence of increased forgetting, presents a challenge for elders and their caregivers. Gerontologic nurses can assist forgetful elders with their personal impression management. They can protect these elders from being labeled by their social group. However, in order to assist elders in maintaining acceptable social impressions, nurses need to understand the impression management process and effective strategies for assisting forgetful elders in social situations.