Anyone have experience with hallucinations in the elderly? Is it Alzheimer’s and dementia or lack of sleep?

We first noticed a memory problem with mom at 70. Now at 77 we had to move her to a assisted living facility b/c her memory was less than 5 seconds, hallucinations, not able to prepare meals, take care of herself and her home. I constantly was overwhelmed with worry for her living on her own. I am relieved she is being well taken care of in her assisted living facility.
on many previous posts I see many parents are in their 90’s . I pray my momma doesn’t have to endure another 20 plus years in this no state of mind!!! .
Most of the time when I visit she does recognize me or refers of me as her sister. Asks about if I have talked with mom and or other relatives that have passed a many years ago, of course I just roll with it all.
It is definitely heartbreaking to say the least!!!
my next steps are to figure how to continue to pay for the facility her funds are dwindling fast. My options are cash in her life insurance and have Medicaid supplement or sell her home.
if we cash in we have to maintain her home until passing which is a lot of work, I’ve been doing for the last 7 years with not a lot of help from other siblings. I would prefer to sell her home keep life insurance going and just keep going. Others I feel have another agenda. ?

I often think, how are all these baby boomers going to manage the cost it is going to cost down the road for them!!!??? It will be astronomically crazy!!!
For all of you in this same boat I wish you strength, endurance and blessings in this new year of 2023
😘🤗☮️🤗🙏🏻

Strangers walking through the house (oh, and through the walls) and using the shower in their clothes
Bug infestation everywhere -- including the hospital ER and ambulance
Mice coming out of rooms under the doors
Birds chirping from within the walls
Time warps of seeing family members at random times
Imposters -- family members had been replaced by same named strangers
Aliens with bald heads coming for dinner

So, yes, hallucinations, delusions and paranoia are all classics in dementia. In MIL, it was there with and without UTI.

But the real irony was MIL laying in bed and sleeping through another memory care resident rummaging thru the drawers stealing items -- THAT was real and went completely unnoticed. LOL

Of course! Hallucinations and delusions are a huge part of Alzheimer's.

My mom used to think that the TV was talking to HER.

If the hallucinations are not making your mother fearful, then just go with it. If they are causing fear or combativeness, then you might need to consider medication.

You will also need to get a definitive diagnosis for her Dementia.

Speak to hospice nurses and aides. You will hear tons of fascinating stories!

When I told the hospice nurse about my mom seeing a young girl she said that she has heard many residents talk about seeing others in their rooms.

When my dad was ready to go home from the hospital and was clearly dying, I asked his doctor to prescribe something for his agitation. The doctor said he couldn’t because he didn’t want him to become dependent on the medication. I was flabbergasted because dad only had a few months to live and I wanted him to be as comfortable as possible. I said that he was 92 and if he became addicted, so what? He was dying. Doctor seemed taken aback by what I said. But he prescribed the medicine. Try it with your mom’s doctor.

My mom is getting ready to celebrate her 95th birthday in one week. I know that many would say the "people" my mom is seeing are hallucinations but I feel and tell her that they are spirits of those she loves/loved her to watch over her. The rough times are when she wakes up very upset because they want her to "get up" or "come home". Our family doctor told me it is better to go along with what she says/sees but I have such a hard time trying to explain to her that this is her home and that her parents are no longer here. I give her simple tasks to do at home that I can watch over so she feels she's "contributing" help. It also keeps her occupied for however long it takes. Good Luck and God Bless

Mrsmarie: One dose of morphine sent my mother into a tailspin of hallucinogenic visual disturbances. Insomnia with dementia present can cause hallucinations.

My mother's depression lists hallucinations as a side effect. Maybe check her medications...

My mom started dreaming of a young girl, around 5 or 6. Then she told me that she saw the girl while she was awake.

She took meds for her Parkinson’s disease and that is one of the possible side effects.

She developed dementia and tried walking out of the front door in the middle of the night. Who knows what is going on in their minds? It’s frightening and disturbing.

Vision problems including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can also cause hallucinations.

What does her Geriatric Psychiatrist say?

Sounds like delirium..has she been diagnosed w dementia etc?

Lots of information available. Ask your health care professional or local Association. Following is a very small capsule of what I just researched:

Hallucinations and dementia | Alzheimer's Society
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk › symptoms-and-diagnosis

10 Ways to Respond to Dementia Hallucinations in Seniors
https://dailycaring.com › 10-ways-to-respond-to-dementia...

What stage of dementia are hallucinations?
Hallucinations are caused by changes in the brain which, if they occur at all, usually happen in the middle or later stages of the dementia journey. Hallucinations are more common in dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's dementia but they can also occur in Alzheimer's and other types of dementia.May 11, 2021

What is the most common type of hallucination for a person with dementia?
Visual hallucinations (seeing things that aren't there) are the most common type experienced by people with dementia. They can be simple (for example, seeing flashing lights) or complex (for example, seeing animals, people or strange situations).

10 ways to respond when someone is experiencing dementia hallucinations
Determine if a response is needed. ... 
Stay calm and don't argue or try to convince using logic. ... 
Validate their feelings and provide reassurance. ... 
Check the environment and remove possible triggers. ... 
Look for patterns. ... 
Distract and redirect. 

What is the best medicine for dementia hallucinations? Antipsychotic medications for hallucinations, delusions, aggression, agitation, hostility and uncooperativeness:
Aripiprazole (Abilify®)
Clozapine (Clozaril®)
Haloperidol (Haldol®)
Olanzapine (Zyprexa®)
Quetiapine (Seroquel®)
Risperidone (Risperdal®)
Ziprasidone (Geodon®)

Gena / Touch Matters

Is she saying things like "Where did everyone go?!" along with the "I'm all alone!" (followed by stuff similar to "Why did they leave me here, I want to go home, etc)

Is she nodding off in her chair or something? An accidental daytime nap is usually when my mom gets 'taken off' somewhere and for my mom it can take a few days or more to resolve.

No scary shows on TV if TV is being used to entertain... My mom going "somewhere else" to Hallmark channel is waaaaay calmer of an experience. There's a reason there's all those commercials on Hallmark ;) The first time it ever happened was she was watching NCIS. No more NCIS. I might be tempted to let her re-watch old Murder she Wrote episodes to assuage her urge to watch mystery stuff but even that I prob would make sure she doesn't nod off in the middle of an episode.

My mom also had super serious sleep issues before she went onto hospice. I can now* get her to get 4h uninterrupted which has restored her own personality at least.

Sleep is so, so valuable <3

Yes, dementia does that. Mom's doc put her on a mild anti-anxiety drug, it helps her sleep, and it made a world of difference.

Yes my Mrs. would do that too. And it was periodic it wasn’t all the time. And sometimes she wasn’t filled with anxiety she was just talking so, for the most part we talked to her lovingly, reassuring her or ignoring it depending on what she was saying. We used meclizine or lorazepam for the anxiety or agitation when it got bad. You have to be careful with the lorazepam because it can be extremely effective. We had a very low dosage and even then we cut it up so one pill wouldn’t knock her out. We just wanted her to calm down. We gave like a third of a pill? It took about 30 minutes to kick in. Make sure you keep these medication‘s away from caregivers if you have them. They will abuse this so they don’t have to deal with her. Hugs!

My Mom had mild “vascular dementia,”& she had occasional hallucinations. She passed at halfway btw 91-92.

My mom, who had Alzheimer's, often had auditory and visual hallucinations. Once, she was insistent that someone was knocking on her bedroom door. I told her it must have been when I was doing laundry (which I didn't do that day), and she heard the washer lid go up and down, and then the dryer door, and she accepted this. I was a "liar, liar, pants in dryer." (I even included this anecdote in a book I wrote about Hubby and I taking care of her called, "My Mother Has Alzheimer's and My Dog Has Tapeworms: A Caregiver's Tale.") (My mom and dog were diagnosed with their respective health issues around the same time.) Sometimes she had nice visual hallucinations, which in a way made it easier on me, in that I could cook dinner, and she could talk to her imaginary friends. Sometimes she'd insist that someone walked out a door, (or came in through our locked door), and no amount of reasoning could persuade her that no one came in or went out. I had to remind myself that this was not my mom acting "crazy," but rather, a deterioration of her brain. I also understand the "Jekyll and Hyde" changes in personality. There were days I wanted to "hide." The unpredictability of her lucidity and moods was very hard to deal with; we just did the best we could. Since I'm writing this on Dec. 31, I just wanted to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year.

Has your mother been checked for a UTI (urinary tract infection )? If bad, a UTI can cause some of the symptoms that you mention.

I've noticed the same thing.

When my 95 yo mother wakes up all night long, we both have a rotten day after.

Around the 4th or 5th "get up" she becomes combative and angry as I'm escorting her to the bathroom. The next day she will be disoriented, ill-tempered, disrespectful and demanding.

Same thing when she hasn't had a BM for a day or two.

The rare nights when she sleeps all night or only gets us up one time, she is a different person - pleasant, aware of her surroundings, thankful for assistance.

So, it's sleep and gut/bowel issues that have the biggest impact for better or worse.

I don’t know if you call it an hallucination but my wife frequently recalls events that never happened. I try to quickly try to get her on more real events. I think it is all just part of dementia.

Sleep patterns with the elderly who suffer from dementia vary greatly from day to day. I find that my 91 year old mother will have hallucinations of someone standing over her bed shortly after falling asleep for the night always followed by her frantic call that she’s sure of an intruder which cannot be as she has furniture of some sort in front of every door each night. And before you berate me this “hazard”, she’s unable to actually stop the doors from opening in an emergency; we’ve gone into the house with them in place many times. It makes her feel safe…who’s to take that away from her.
I’ve often wondered if she’s “sleep talking” since she settles back down so quickly without further question. We have cameras throughout the house which I can check from home which proves she’s alone. She’s claimed to have searched the house but can’t find anyone. I remind her of the cameras (which I’ve checked) and that if the doors still have chairs in front of them that the house is secure and she goes right back to sleep.
I’m finding this happens on occassions where she’s had lots of unusual stimuli during the day, outings with family, no nap, extra or new caregivers. I’m glad she’s so easy to settle down as I prefer to stay on my own warm bed than to trod across the street in this winter weather!
I find that ANY changes to her day to daily schedule can be very disruptive. Her latest episode was Christmas night after a long day with family and friends at my daughter’s house along with a combination of different foods and drink (I forgot her tea bags) and no nap. Although we really try to keep long extra’s/changes to a minimum in terms of time spent, sometimes the fun out ways the cost of consequence.
All my best! I know how disruptive and disturbing this can be!

Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia. There are many causes of dementia and they can co-exist. You can’t figure all that out for yourself. All that you can do, probably, is treat the symptoms. Inform her doctor, she needs help and so do you. You might ask hospice to do an evaluation.

Definitely consult her physician with these symptoms. UTIs show up in with unusual (not typical) symptoms. But also, there are several types of Dementia and one that I believe affects the frontal lobe more, then hallucinations/delusions are more likely. But through my reading there can be a couple of dementia on board and progressing at the same time. (not an expert here, just a researcher through my Alzheimer journey with my mother).
But I would consult the doctors so you can get her more comfortable...that is very frightening for her and for you to deal with.

Geaton77 is correct, first get the uti checked..

my mom started hallucinating, they progressed. She was not diagnosed with dementia, but I’m sure she had it mildly. So while your getting the uti checked , address the probable need for medications .. they did help my mom for a bit.. but then her dose would need adjusted

People with dementia have a harder time processing and understanding what's going on with their own bodies... it is possible she may have an undiagnosed UTI. It wouldn't hurt to take her in to get tested as this is treatable and if left untreated could turn septic. UTIs are very frequent in elderly women, and for many reasons that are not related to hygiene.

If it isn't a UTI, you should discuss meds with her doctor to address her anxiety, since she can't control this.

Sounds impossible to deal with. Your poor mom. And you! I would call her doctor today and describe the symptoms. Perhaps an anti-anxiety and/or a sleep med will be helpful.