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My mother is over 90, lives alone, cooks, cleans, writes checks, goes to church etc. - is "ok". In the last 6 months, she believes a crew comes in at night to work on things in the house (rearranges bricks in the fireplace, paints walls, etc.) and a woman steals her clothes, but replaces them with old ones. She wants to call the police to report it and make them stop. What should I do? (she's been tested recently for dementia by GB and neurologist and passes all the test just fine)

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Does she have dinner later in the evening? High sugar or refined foods diet? What meds does she take in the evening? Ambien?
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Yes - she eats late in the evening. She eats veggies, beef, chicken, cereal, etc. Pretty normal and no meds at night. Only lipitor and low dose alprazolam in morning.
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The reason I ask is because I've found that if I eat later, I often have difficulty sleeping, and sometimes have bizarre caregiving lookback nightmares in the morning. They're sometimes so intense that they seem real.

I asked about Ambien b/c 3 nurses have told me it caused nightmares for them. Bizarre nightmares.

But your mother is experiencing the same "vision", repeatedly, so it's not a nightmare. Is her house in need of cleaning and/or repair? Sometimes these unconscious concerns can manifest themselves in "visions" or "delusions." Beyond that, I'm puzzled.

There are others here with more experience and hopefully can help you.

As to reporting to the police, perhaps you could tell her a therapeutic fib, such as that you did contact the police for her, they're checking to determine if anyone else has had that problem and will let her know IF they are able to find the "perpetrators". Or maybe that other people have had similar problems but it seems the perpetrators are moving from city to city and it's hard to track them down.

If she asks again, or repeatedly, make a pretend private call, or call from work or away from home, then tell her that they're still trying to find the people, that they've driven by her house at night but don't see any unusual activity.

Or you might even ask the police if they have any suggestions that could comfort her w/o involving actual police involvement.

There's probably a reason that she focuses on fixing the house, replacing clothing, and cleaning. Can you think of a reason why these would be specific areas of concern?
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firstdaughter3, also have your Mom checked for an Urinary Tract Infection, as such infections can cause strange dreams and other behavioral issues in the elderly. The test can be done at Mom's primary doctor's office. Antibiotics are usually prescribed.

If this isn't a UTI but something more to the affect of dementia "sundowning", then GardenArtist above had some excellent ideas.
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There's definitely something going on there - reading your description, I could have been reading about my own grandmother.

Similar stories from her dementia journey:

- Someone was breaking into the house by entering the attic window (3 stories up), exiting the locked/barricaded attic door, getting meat out of the (locked) freezer, cooking & eating it, then washing the dishes and putting them away. The reason for the story? She couldn't find her favorite skillet - so the criminals must have put it away where she couldn't find it.

- She was a CIA/FBI/DEA agent - or all three, depending on the day. She'd claim the neighbors were drug dealers and hide behind the shrubs armed with her blue slouch hat and dark sunglasses and a huge thermos of coffee and watch them all day.

...and so many more.

I hope you can find some answers - I can't really add too many more suggestions than have already been made here, but just know that you're not alone and you can come here anytime to vent, ask questions or just talk about the situation.
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Some years ago my mother would tell me a large man with a beard was standing by her dresser watching her sleep ( she lives in her own locked up home in a gated community so I assumed vivid dreams) But she would describe in great detail .. and over time more often. Then , if you remember those miners stuck under ground some years back and was quite a lot of news coverage.. she was obsessed and upset the entire time ( she stayed up all night watching updates)
I rationalized each episode ... getting older .. not busy enough but it was upsetting for both of us.

You mentioned your mom sees a neurologist... you may want to mention her stories to him /her. I mentioned in passing the stories and her vivid details to her neurologist and imagine my shock when he said he wanted to try her on Zyprexa.. I was appalled as I knew it as a medicine for psychotic/obsessive thoughts. He essentially said same part of the brain...

Long story still long... it worked .. she hasn't had obsessive thoughts or the terrible nightmares of purple monsters she was describing.

As I was sleeping here every other night back then ( 24/7 now) I knew no one was in her house but was shocked that the neurologist just nodded and said ok ... this is what to do. As a side effect ... the med is taken at bedtime and helps her mostly sleep through.

I figured might be worth a conversation with your mom's doctor ....Sorry so long but I didn't want to just say --- hey try this drug !!!!💟
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Reading the answers posted after mine, it reminded me of the nightmares children have of monsters underneath the bed. Not having children, I have no experience with this, but wonder ….Parents here, to what did you attribute your children's nightmares? Fear of monsters? Watching monster movies? Anxiety?

In dementia, behaviors often revert to childlike ones; perhaps there's a common element with imaginative dreams.
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My mom was having delusions a while before she was actually diagnosed with dementia. She was “being stalked” by a man who lived at the apartment. She was in her mid-80’s at the time and, like your mom, lived a healthy life. No meds. No other odd behaviors at that time, just an irrational fear of this man. He never did anything to give her cause to believe he had any reason to “stalk” her. Keep tabs on these occurrences with your mom and if they become more frequent, speak with her primary care.
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Thank you so much everyone for the thoughtful responses. Yes, thanks for the UTI suggestion - we had her checked weeks ago for that and she's fine - we were really hoping it would be that easy. And it gets more perplexing. Her house if fairly clean and well kept. My brother goes by every day (M-F), cooks breakfast, takes her to the grocery, doctors, etc. He is so close to her, he sometimes doesn't cope with her and lashes out - which doesn't do any good. I go over one or twice a week (and spend the night) as does my sister. It's just the house that she stresses about and the coming and going of the gang. Maybe it is that she doesn't know how to keep up (altho my brother does things and fixes things for her). She's a tiny thing, so will check into meds side effects and see about Zyprexa. Trying to get her an appt with a Brain Therapy Center. Any other ideas anyone has, please send them my way. It's just so hard. Thank you all!
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Has anyone suggested Dementia with Lewy Bodies to you? Delusions and hallucinations are common with that form of dementia..........be careful with medications as a lot of anti-psychotic meds are contra-indicated with this condition. Cognition tends to wax and wane as well. Google it and you will find a lot more information. Wish I could help more.
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I had to stop the Benedryl for my DH and that stopped his hallucinations. I found creams to handle his itching instead and life went on.

The doctor said that Benedryl can cause hallucinations in the elderly. Talk to the doctor. Maybe something is triggering these delusions. Always check for UTI's. If Mom uses Depends, she could also have a yeast infection. A low-grade fever can also cause problems.  I tend to hallucinate with a low-grade fever.
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She has been tested? And they say she is OK even though you have told them about this behavior? I assume you accompany her to these appointments and she was displaying this behavior at that time? Has she been tested recently for a UTI? Has anyone checked her medications and whether she has been taking them properly daily? Are you able to spend a few nights with her? Just to really see how she is? Then go with her to her Geriatrician and talk. There needs to be follow up. Obviously this behavior is not OK. I would also recommend you look into a product that has been excellent for us. It is called TeleCalm. It really works and, at this point, could be very beneficial for your mom.
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Here is what I did:

I went to the police station myself, presented my driver's license, address, phone number, e-mail address, and explained what was going on, namely, that my mother would call to say that her car had been stolen. Two months later when my mother called to tell them that her car had been stolen--by me-- they had it in their notes on the portable tablet, and knew to appease her.

They were so cool about it that they didn't even bother to tell me it had happened. I found out because my mom told me the police had been at her house. I checked at the police station and they confirmed what I have said above.

So, be active, be preemptive. It is so much easier. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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How long has your mother been taking the statin? Confusion is listed among the common side-effects for Lipitor, it might be worth trialling a break from it and seeing if it makes any difference.

You must tell her doctor if you decide to try this, but be prepared for some impatient huffing and pooh-poohing from him, smile sweetly and say "nevertheless..." Many doctors won't hear a word against statins and dismiss all complaints out of hand.
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firstdaughter3, hi and how are you? Just a suggestion since she's 90 and leaving alone why not go and ask the police in her area to give her a visit and talk to her and made assurance they(the police) will check her surroundings, we can always ask police assisstance in case of this and make sure you check the surroundings, too of any place outside the house, that a person can make possible force entry.Hope you resolve the situation.Have a great day.
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PSW, just to draw your attention to this specifically:

"she believes a crew comes in at night to work on things in the house (rearranges bricks in the fireplace, paints walls, etc.) and a woman steals her clothes, but replaces them with old ones."

1. If the OP's mother reports that to the police, they will mark her down as a batty old woman; and the next time she calls because she thinks she's heard a prowler outside they will be slower to respond.

2. The OP's anxieties have no rational basis, and therefore a rational assurance from even the nicest, kindest policeman will do nothing to soothe them.

In other, more general cases though I would agree with you - a home security check from your local police force is often a very good idea.
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This is similar to what my mom went thru. It took a long time to get to the diagnosis of dementia with Lewy Bodies.
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My father and his sister, both in their 80's, say Tylenol gives them very bad dreams. They sometimes take it for arthritis (the extra strength Tylenol).
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Being told, at age 90, that your brain is 'just fine' is much different than hearing that same evaluation at 40. Everything's relative.
Also, the test that she was given...was it a 5-minute quiz in the office? If so, that's referred to as a 'mini-mental' and it will not reveal the very early stages of dementia. If instead, it was an imaging study and a more comprehensive evaluation, then look for other causes, but that type of hallucination sounds very much like dementia. Especially if it's more vivid upon waking. I knew a woman who swore she saw a man descending from her attic when she got up from a nap. She didn't let the fact that she lived on a middle floor of a high rise apartment building dissuade her.
Also, check a little more closely that she is truly OK in all those other areas where things appear normal. Do you have access to her finances? Make sure she's in good shape there (not piddling away her money nor falling prey to scams). And take a critical look at her. Is her hygiene up to par, clothes soiled, unexplained bruises or scratches, housekeeping sloppy? Sometimes it takes a big symptom, like hallucination, to bring into focus other symptoms.
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I am 70 and suppose I am now old enough that I could be somebody's mother. I have no children of my own. The thing is I too do and think the things that you mention but am otherwise very independent and capable like your mother. It really upsets me when I do come to the worst conclusions about things - if I see something out of place, or can't find anything I immediately jump to the conclusion that somebody has taken/moved something.

The thing is I have had a succession of house keepers and have had many, many things stolen; a lot of jewelry, make up, clothes, purses etc. One woman who came for a year stole a very long list of things that I didn't miss for some time like boots in the summer then sandals in the winter. (I am presently furious to find that two pairs of my favorite sandals are missing). She stole important things too and threw out my wedding album. So many things, down to drill bits from my drill. If I broached the subject it was always, 'I didn't do that. You must have put it somewhere yourself'. She also sabotaged me by hiding things, throwing the contents of folders away, disrupting all my DVD's putting them in the wrong jewel cases and even putting two of them in with my library DVD's for return. Once, I watched her put something under a mat on the dresser where she thought I wouldn't be able to find it. Why I didn't say anything at the time I shall never know. I gave her many things and spent a lot of money on her as well. So this experience has left me totally paranoid.

As to the eating late and sleeping pills etc. I do eat late and take Trazadone but don't think that is a problem in my case. I am just wondering if your mother really does have a reason to be suspicious? Has anybody spent time in her home and actually interfered with her property? Just a thought. Some people are very dishonest.
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Statins, including Lipitor, can cause vivid dreams and confusion. As a retired health professional, I wonder about having patients in their 90's on statins--risks versus benefits--so why not bring that up with her doctor? I stopped my statin due to bad muscle pain and vivid dreams. Other ways to manage lipid levels besides statins.
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You may want to research the side effects of her meds, even if they are only "lipitor and low dose alprazolam". Then ask her doctor about them.
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We had the same problem with my Mom and it was the side effects of meds in the same family. She was on two medications that were not recommended for the elderly. After weaning her off, she did much better, unless she had eaten a lot of sugar before bed.
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Strange she wasn't diagnosed with the beginnings of dementia but as to your problem I probably would consult with her doctor about her behavior. I would also consult with the police department as to how they think you should handle this and also what is their policy concerning such calls. I am sure they receive other similar calls and have a policy on how to handle them. They probably have to handle this as they would any other call they get into their department but after a few calls from your mother they would not handle it as an emergency and just send a squad car over that was in the area.
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My mothydid the same thing. She is 94. It turned out to be a UTI. They gave her an antibiotic and she returned to normal. Hope this helps!!
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Whenever I went out of town for work or travel, my husband would telephone me and say there were "people" in the house. So I quit my job and quit traveling and the people disappeared. Then we were having the house painted and he accused the painter of stealing his medication (some sort of sleeping pill or tranquilizer given by neurologist). But he too could pass mini-mental health exams. Eventually he quit having what I now realize were TIAs and had a major stroke, and he died three weeks later because we had instructions not to put in feeding tube and he could not swallow. TIAs are very hard to detect, but they do leave their mark.
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My mother's doctor missed the UTI the first time and finally gave her an antibiotic. After a few days she was back to normal.
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it's the alprazolam " paranoia is very common with drugs that effect GABA.
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Last summer while in rehab. My mom 95. Yep, at sundown, Yep, UTI. She called the police to go to her house from her rehab bed. After treatment, cleared up. It's been 8 months, she's fine. At first, I was trying to tell correct the delusions. The next day, I just went along. It lasted about 3 days. It was frightening to see. I have a whole new empathy for those who deal with dimentia and alzheimers.
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You know persons w Dr. Can showtime not showing true condition. Then when home back to Dementia condition. My husbands started slowely as not remembering things we had done then next repeating stories. I took him off statins when first sign of dementia. That was 11 years ago & very slowly he has gotten worse. Long life in family so could 9 more years or more. Be as calm as you can for a calm life. Do not say no this didn't happen but I'm checking that out & I want you to know you are safe. Agreeing saves frustration on her side & a better life for all.
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