![]() Like a “horse rode too hard and put up wet,” I needed open pasture. There were many times it became necessary to call for back-up because I could not handle Dad’s hallucinations one more minute. It will only twist things further and you both will likely be headed for hours of extended madness. (At this point you probably need some fresh air and some good ol’dirt kicking anyway.) Whatever you do, don’t get into an argument. ![]() No picnic now! They must have just left.” You might have to actually take a walk outside and circle the house. Period! Instead, be affirming with, “I just went out and checked. If it does happen that your patient honestly believes he or she is witnessing something, do not turn it into a debate. Years ago, on a Memorial Day weekend, Dad took a gander out the kitchen window and asked, “What are those twenty-five people doing having dinner in our backyard?” Something similar may very well happen with your patient. Exhibiting signs of frustration will only make matters worse. You will really need to call upon all of your endurance in order to avoid losing your patience. At that point, Dad had been suffering from this pillaging disease for practically a decade, and what I’ve just described is one of its most heart-rending facets.Īgain, hallucinations and delusions are two of the most strenuous side effects for caregivers to contend with. I responded that the only thing I wanted to do at that moment was to get some sleep!ĭelusional behavior is only one of the cruel effects of dementia-related diseases and was one of the hardest for me to bear. ![]() Upon her arrival she suggested that I should get away and take a break for a while. I phoned my sister and begged her to drop everything she was doing and come over immediately. At last, around 5:00 p.m., I just couldn’t take it anymore. I repeated this walk with him five times in hopes that it would settle him down. The thing is, the other building was not even visible from the house but he insisted that he saw at least five guys “over there” breaking in.įinally, I walked him “over there,” across the field. “They’re breaking into the building next door! All the tools behind the building are being stolen!” Over and over Dad insisted upon this, quite loudly, throughout the entire day. If it is determined that it is Lewy body dementia, the antipsychotic medications should be avoided.Īt about nine o’clock one morning my dad began showing signs of being delusional and became extremely upset. This, however, is where it is so important for the patient to be correctly diagnosed with the type of dementia-related disease he or she has. If these hallucinations are scaring your patients who, in turn, are building up high levels of anxiety, and redirection will not work, their doctors may want to prescribe something that will. The hallucinations can become very frightening and confusing, therefore, exceedingly difficult for caregivers to co-ordinate.ĭiscuss this matter with physicians. They are not only visible to the person experiencing them, but can be heard, smelled, and tasted by the patient. Hallucinations, on the other hand, are false perceptions of objects, people, or events. Suspicion and delusions seem to go hand in hand. For instance, a common delusion that occurs within Alzheimer’s patients is the notion that everyone is stealing from them, taking all their prized possessions. I have noticed two mental conditions which the general public commonly mistake as being the same thing: hallucinations and delusions.Ī delusion is a fictional belief about something, someone or even about one’s self. You will likely be required to differentiate between symptoms which can appear strangely like one another. This becomes especially important during the latter stages of the disease. Being their voice may mean you will have to explain what you believe is ailing them, to a medical professional or to their physicians. If you should be experiencing the illness of loved ones or if you are caring for patients in a health care setting, it is essential that someone become their advocate even more so, it is necessary if they are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia.
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