How do you cope with their auditory hallucinations without going mad?

I think to myself every night. Stay calm. Don't resist. Don't correct. Go along with it. But how do you do it, night after night without going crazy.

My dad is 94 and in good health physically, but mentally he is not doing as well. He is diagnosed with dementia. For the past few years he has had auditory hallucinations of people out to get him. Much worse lately. We sit in front of the television at night, and most times it has to be turned off, so he can hear what "they" are saying better, and he will go on and on for about two hours about what they are saying. When he asks me something, and I answer him, he gets upset because then immediately the "people" outside have heard us and they know what we're talking about. Tonight he went checking for wiring because "they" can hear us and can see us.

He was in hospital for a week after going off to find the woman who was calling him one morning. Since then they started him on 2.5mg Olanzapine daily. I was using it before, but only on an "as needed" basis, but as this was becoming more frequent, I had contacted Aged Mental Health (Australia) for help about this, but then he did the wander and ended up in hospital. The decision to use Olanzapine is against his Dr's wishes as she is concerned it could cause a stroke or heart attack. In hospital we discussed this but decided his quality of life was more important. He had been so scared he was barricading himself in rooms, or I had stoped him another night hiding in the garage.

So how do you not go raving mad coping with it night after night after night.

He's just gone to bed, but I'm waiting, as the usual pattern the last few nights has been that he gets back up again because he's scared of what they are saying. They are going to break the windows and come in and kill him.

I have no support really. If I'm really ready to lose it, I call a nephew to come over, but he's not always available. There is a meeting with aged care mental health this week and I'm hoping they can help me to cope better with dad.

So, how do you not go crazy yourselves?

Val.