Do you know what condition she has that is causing her dementia? Sometimes, you can track stages by symptoms, but, it's not always accurate, especially if it's caused by something other than Alzheimers.
Delusions and hallucinations don't really have a certain time they show up in a dementia patient. They may come and go at different times. My cousin has Vascular Dementia mixed with Alzheimers and her delusions and hallucinations weren't that severe, but they showed up rather early and don't seem to bother her much now that it's been several years. But, she still does have some.
I would discuss it with her doctor. I'd explore if she is overly anxious and that is causing her mental distress. Sometimes medication for anxiety can help with the mood.
From what I've seen people can have delusions and hallucinations that are not based on anything in their earlier life, but it could be. I don't know of any way to be sure about that.
Two words..Delusional and Hallucinations. Symptoms of Dementia and Alzheimers. She saw a black bug in her pie..I had to play along and threw it in the garbage. I then saw her cleaning her area..I recall her not liking bugs, could this be a symptom of her fears of bugs
Plus, she says this phrase( before she was known to have dementia), "You hate me!" She thinks that, but no one hates her. Could this also be a symptom of her past feelings. She was placed in a residential school when she was very young because the family didn't have food. My mother...is she progressing and which stage would this be?
You know, I'm beginning to think she's hallucinating now..this afternoon she blamed my daughter in law of teasing her by knocking on her bedroom door, when my daughter in law didn't. Then this evening she said she saw a bug go in her sandwich, when I checked it, it looked ok.? I don't like this...
Seems like I understood my mother, now another phase. I'm grateful for your help, you've helped me out more than you know. Her homecare nurse will be coming tomorrow or the next day, I will have to let them know of the change. She still speaks, but is unable to ccomprehend what I will ask her as her memory is next to none...Thank you..I agree, she needs to be re-assessed.
I agree. I'd get her evaluated. She may be very afraid of something that she cannot verbalize. Delusions and hallucinations are not uncommon with dementia. My cousin was convinced that her cat could escape from her house through a crevice the size of a pea. As a result, she had duct taped much of the house, including cabinets, furniture, etc. Nothing could convince her otherwise.
I see that according to your profile, your mom has Alzheimer's. Paranoia is a common occurrence in Alzheimers. It can be a delusion or a hallucination (such as someone is out to get her, someone is stealing from her, someone is trying to attack her) that is spurring the paranoia, or the paranoia can exist without delusion.
Can your mom still communicate? If so have you asked her why she is doing these things? If she holds one of the delusions as true, that can be very disturbing and can create extreme anxiety. It would be a good idea to take her to a geriatric psychiatrist so she can be given anxiety medication to make her more relaxed and to possibly get rid of some of these feelings. You certainly don't want to end up in a situation where there is a fire, or where she has fallen but you can't get to her due to a pileup in front of her door.
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Delusions and hallucinations don't really have a certain time they show up in a dementia patient. They may come and go at different times. My cousin has Vascular Dementia mixed with Alzheimers and her delusions and hallucinations weren't that severe, but they showed up rather early and don't seem to bother her much now that it's been several years. But, she still does have some.
I would discuss it with her doctor. I'd explore if she is overly anxious and that is causing her mental distress. Sometimes medication for anxiety can help with the mood.
From what I've seen people can have delusions and hallucinations that are not based on anything in their earlier life, but it could be. I don't know of any way to be sure about that.
Plus, she says this phrase( before she was known to have dementia), "You hate me!" She thinks that, but no one hates her. Could this also be a symptom of her past feelings. She was placed in a residential school when she was very young because the family didn't have food.
My mother...is she progressing and which stage would this be?
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Her homecare nurse will be coming tomorrow or the next day, I will have to let them know of the change. She still speaks, but is unable to ccomprehend what I will ask her as her memory is next to none...Thank you..I agree, she needs to be re-assessed.
Can your mom still communicate? If so have you asked her why she is doing these things? If she holds one of the delusions as true, that can be very disturbing and can create extreme anxiety. It would be a good idea to take her to a geriatric psychiatrist so she can be given anxiety medication to make her more relaxed and to possibly get rid of some of these feelings. You certainly don't want to end up in a situation where there is a fire, or where she has fallen but you can't get to her due to a pileup in front of her door.
Angel