How to Handle False Storytelling In Social Situations?

Little al asked...

My spouse was in the Navy for over 20 years. He was never in combat and is now telling everyone that he was on Normandy Beach during the war and had his boat shot out of the water, broke all his teeth, flipped the boat over all marines fell out, etc, etc, etc.... How do I handle the reactions people have about his heroic actions which never happened?

Expert Answer

Helene Bergman, LMSW, is a certified geriatric care manager (C-ASWCM) and owner of Elder Care Alternatives, a professional geriatric care management business in New York City. She consults with nursing homes and daycare programs to develop specialized programs for Alzheimer's patients.

Delusions as well as memory loss often characterize dementia. Storytelling is not much different from delusional thinking and the guiding principle often is to allow someone their delusions unless they are harmful to the person or to others. Your spouse remembers he was in the Navy and now needs to believe he was a 'hero'. It is important to tell those you trust and spend time with about your husband's cognitive changes. Hopefully, others he speaks with understand his dementia and allow him to maintain this delusion; it may help his sense of worth.