I want to know how to deal with hallucinations in people with Alzheimer's disease?
Above all, don't be frightened. Don't tell the person who is seeing or hearing things that you know what he sees isn't real, because the things are real to him. The most common hallucinations involve sight or hearing, but people with Alzheimer's may also smell, taste, or feel things that are not really there.
Reassure the person that you will keep him safe. Try to understand the emotion behind the hallucination. If the hallucination is pleasant -- let's say the person is planning a birthday party -- try to connect to her by joining in the fantasy. You do not need to say that you see or hear the same things, but you can accept that the person does.
If it's an upsetting hallucination, try to redirect the person to a different activity. Moving to a different room may help. It's not helpful to try to convince him that his explanation of what's happening is wrong.
My husband sees "people" all the time. I just ask if male or female. Also, I ask what they are doing, and if I should send them away. He says he knows they are not real, but they are always there. The other day, he said for me to keep those kids off the exercise equip. I asked who was there and he said a tall one and a skinny one. I told him I would. He then threw a rock at them. It went about 3'. I just laughed and told him that would sure scare them away. I have to laugh or else I cry.
I have learned first by making many mistakes as to how to react and respond when my dad is having delusions. I moved him in with me about 4 months ago as his full-time care out of his own home started costing $2,200 per week. After I moved him in with me - the reality of it all was very hard for me to understand and accept. I repeatedly tried to "rationalize" with my dad but that never worked which only frustrated us both further. The best advice I've had was to go along with what they were doing - do not attempt to correct or rationalize what they are doing because it's not rational behavior. My dad just got out of bed for the 2nd time in about 20 minutes. He was fully dressed ready to leave - I'm still not 100% sure what he was doing but he was acting like he kept picking something up, was scratching the wall then was acting like he was talking to a dog that wasn't there. I didn't argue or try to get him to clarify and only told him that it could all wait until the morning and we could then take care of it. This is pretty common and unfortunately can be repeated a few times throughout the night.
Trying to rationalize with him only causes him to get upset, then me upset.
My mom is 82 years old with dimentia. Two years ago she had a fall. Afew months later fluid set in the brain. A stent was put in to drain the fluid. After that she would no longer walk and is now in depends. They say she has dimentia which I am sure of also. She is very paranoid and is on low dose seroquel,even though she is not bipolar. How do I know what kind of dimentia she has,no one ever told me? Also I read seroquel can be fatal to people with dimentia. She is on home hospice.
