I've been thinking of getting my mum and dad some new placemats for Christmas, as my dad mentioned they could do with some new ones, my mum was admiring my ones last time she was round my house (details from Monet's water lilies paintings) and since Mum really struggles with unwrapping gifts by herself, I thought it would be a good idea to make her main present a joint one (so Dad has good reason to unwrap it himself). However, I'm sure I've read somewhere that patterned placemats and crockery can further confuse a person in the late stages of dementia, as they think the pattern is food. Am I better off getting something quite plain, or abandoning the placemat idea altogether? I know other people have much more pressing concerns than this, but I'm really racking my brains trying to get my Christmas shopping done and out of the way so I can focus on making the festive season as stress-free as possible for my family.