Communicating with the Elderly

I am a brand new nurse's aide, I finished school 3 weeks ago and my state exam is on May 31. I work at the LTC facility where I did my clinicals, in a really awesome private pay unit portion of the campus. I love everyone I work with, and I love how much I am learning.

Yesterday was my second day of training in my unit. I work the night shift, and when it came time to begin the morning tasks with the residents, I was given 3 residents to get up, washed and ready for their day. Most of the 22 residents on our unit have some degree of dementia, and I am still getting a handle on where everyone is at, because they are sleeping for most of our shift and my interaction with them is fairly limited. What I have noticed is that the patients seem a bit perplexed when I am asking them questions, like, would you like to wear the pink or the blue today? etc. I got that feeling on two of the three residents I worked with, and I am wondering if perhaps I am overwhelming them My question is, do any of you have some tried and true communication tips for me? Are there any books that I could read to help me communicate better with the residents? Is this more a deal where I need to be patient and get to know the residents better and then I will better understand each individuals limitations?

Thanks for reading!