I think the point here is that the guy is old and doesn't have much to worry/think about. Therefore when something changes in his environment he will channel all of his energy into worrying about that.
My grandmother is in her 90's and her neighbours built a small extension to their house, this was like the end of the world to my gran despite the fact the neighbours were very pleasant and the builders did a good and tidy job of the work.
I think you just have to accept that the old bloke is not going to enjoy the disruption and you need to put up with his attitude. I'd even go as far as taking a bottle of wine or his favourite tipple around on completion to apologise for any disruption.
In our busy working lives we have so much going on that we don't have time to get that stressed about individual things, but when you are much older then you have a tendancy to worry about the smallest things. Actually if he is at home every day and love his garden then this disruption would be a massive thing for him and there is little you can do about that.
My grandmother is in her 90's and her neighbours built a small extension to their house, this was like the end of the world to my gran despite the fact the neighbours were very pleasant and the builders did a good and tidy job of the work.
I think you just have to accept that the old bloke is not going to enjoy the disruption and you need to put up with his attitude. I'd even go as far as taking a bottle of wine or his favourite tipple around on completion to apologise for any disruption.
In our busy working lives we have so much going on that we don't have time to get that stressed about individual things, but when you are much older then you have a tendancy to worry about the smallest things. Actually if he is at home every day and love his garden then this disruption would be a massive thing for him and there is little you can do about that.
my old dad seemed unusually agitated one day - next morning he was a gonner - out like a light