Very often, when family members see that the patient's ability is diminished, the most common idea is to let them rest more and not to use them for work. On the surface such an idea seems to be for the patient's sake, but is it really helpful? In fact, patients have their roles in life before they fall ill. In Hong Kong as a society, most of the elderly used to play the roles of workers or carers, and many of them even played both roles. These roles were the whole of their lives, but when their family members kindly exempted them from these responsibilities after the illness, it may be tantamount to taking away the whole of their lives for them. When life loses its focus and they are unable to express their values, behaviors and emotional behaviors begin to emerge. Therefore, family members may consider arranging some simple but regular chores to make the patient feel that he or she still has a useful “role” in the family. This may be more helpful to the patient.
