She imagined a small boy came to visit her also...I think that was just a dream. Hearing voices...is that due to her severe hearing loss or could it be some early sign of dementia? She is 91 and mentally still pretty sharp.
Oh my goodness, I am somewhat concerned about some of these responses. I also believe in the possibility of "spirit guides" etc. etc. but having gone through increasing dementia with my mom I would assume, rather, that this is in fact the beginning of dementia and not visitations from the other side. It is usually the simplest and most reasonable interpretations of situations that turn out to be correct. For example, the people repeatedly breaking into my mom's house and leaving margerine tubs in her refrigerator may have been spirit guides but--just guessing here--probably weren't. People were also breaking in and making her TV screen bigger and bigger each time. Spirit guides? Hmmm. Maybe, who knows? It took me forever, it seems, to catch on that Mom's increasing oddities actually were dementia; for one thing we just don't want to believe this could be happening to our loved one. Then when it dawned on me and I looked back, I could clearly see the progression of dementia from various incidents. Definitely an immediate checkup with the audiologist is in order here, as are some conversations with her to see if you can learn more about what she is experiencing or thinks she is. Love and prayers.
My Mom also hears music in her ears. When I researched it on the computer I found that it is a real syndrom called "Musical Ear Syndrom and nothing to be worried about.
Have the hearing aids checked as it could be a volume problem, but anyone who has reached 91 yrs. has some memory impairment. I wear hearing aids too and if I have the volume turned up (I have a remote control) too loud and then put my hand very close to my ear, it will whistle somewhat (no voices). My volume control in looped over my ear with the bud inside my ear canal. Congratulations to your mom for living so long, and keep her well-hydrated (with plain water), and she can eat anything! Best wishes.
Yes I believe "dementia" does exist. My comments about listening to songs or music from "somewhere" ... Sometimes it is from "the other side. " Many people - all ages - "hear" violins, other string instruments , buzzing like that of bees, harps, sounds like hums or HU, choral voices etc.
Other side communications - they do happen.
When my father crossed over, someone helping me with his house 3,000 miles away, that next week, commented that the toilet wouldn't shut off. On closer exam she noticed the chain came loose from the ball lever so she fixes it. Next day the chain was off again and the second bathroom had the same problem.
She reported it to me and I had had the same problem happening in my condo - for the first time, fixed it, and it had happened a second day.
In the middle of grumbling fixing it the second time I tuned into the possible "message": he was letting me know my "ball and chain", my endlessly needy father, had made it across.
After I said an out loud "Thank you for letting me know you made it. " - neither his house nor my condo had any repeat episodes of the ball and chain or anywhere else.
The REAL solution to this problem is to get hearing aids WITHOUT batteries. Mine are Zounds, have a re-charging stand where I can put them both along with their remote control. Never have to change batteries, and NEVER get batteries stuck in my ears. Try them, they are great!
Mom is 85. She too wears hearing aids but hears music even when not wearing them. Dr says she has dementia but I dont see it. I told her neurologist about the singing and he said if it doesn't bother her don't let it bother you. At that time she heard it sometimes. Now its all the time and it does bother her. Always gospel music. Used to be Elvis mostly, now she doesn't recognize who is singing but she often sings along. I have no answers but i dont think dementia is it and its not her hearing aids. Meds maybe? Memantine?
My mom hears music, she has had numerous small strokes and they have destroyed some of the audio nerves so her hearing aids don't work very well, nothing can be done about it so I just suggest to her that she enjoy it because she can't listen to real music anymore it sounds all distorted to her.
Wireless hearing aids that use the same 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific, Medical) band as WLAN (think WIFI) and Bluetooth networks could potentially experience "crosstalk" from nearby sources, such as an adjacent room.
It can be from any one of numerous causes, including: ==It could be a radio signal to her hearing aids--I had a patient, years ago, who experienced that. Had to get his hearing aids adjusted. I'd think the modern ones wouldn't do that, but hey, with HAARP etc. military stuff, who knows? [but those would sound like hums in various patterns, not voices] ==Drugs can cause visual and auditory hallucinations or delusions; her Doc should know of this, and look at perhaps side effects of one or more of her meds. ==Hearing impairment, especially when it is 1/2 gone or more, causes a form of mental isolation; the mind can be triggered into various memories that are so clear, it's like they were really happening again. ==As an elder's autonomy decreases, fear [a very strong survival instinct], can increase, which can trigger thoughts, visuals and auditory sensations that are out-of-suynch with our reality. ==Yes, some can sense they are in the presence of previously deceased relatives and friends, see angels, hear messages, etc. I would not count those out, but, would sure rule-out physical triggers, first. Reassuring someone, is important; let them know you are there for them, and, that you are trying to help figure out where it is coming from. Always get as many details as you can, to help figure what it is. ---If it's visual, look around to see if there is anything that even remotely resembles what they describe, that could have been embellished by their minds. ---If it's auditory, check hearing aids, neighbor's activities [it really might be neighbor's audio equipment, or construction nearby, etc.]..even a baby monitor used to monitor an elder. It's unlikely tinnitus could cause anyone to hear voices speaking words, but it could cause noises that vaguely resemble voices making some sons-like hubbub, more like in a distance. ---If they believe someone's coming into their house, or room: what does the person look like, when did it happen, what did they say or do while there, etc. Once you have enough details, it's easier to figure out the source. Sometimes the elder just needs more 1:1 time to keep them better connected with here and now. They often need reassurance that it's 'just the bolts holding the TV bracket to the wall' [for instance], or, their hearing aids need new batteries or repaired, or the baby monitor is picking up outside signals. If their mind is playing tricks on them, and it's not medication related, and, if those are benign tricks, do what you can to reassure them, be supportive. Encourage them to talk with you about what they see or hear, of angels, dead loved ones, etc. Let them tell you as much as they are able; do what can realistically be done. You might learn something amazing, or you might learn the elder needs their meds adjusted. Or you might just get to spend a few more precious moments with them.
*** sorry..I said if it was military, it'd sound more like hums...yes. And, can be voices. New high-tech stuff being tested, supposedly can make people hear voices in their heads, used for crowd control, etc....but as far as I know at this time, it's experimental. Without hearing aids. It's broadcast like radio signals. If they bring this Tech to broader use, we might all be hearing voices in our heads!
My Mum was having a little child visiting her in the home she is in. He tells her he is being molested. His entry is through a very high window. I guessed she had a problem and was hearing things but my sister just kept on angrily telling her to stop making up stories. This was in 2012 when we visited the UK from South Africa. Apparently her dementia has progressed and the only person she has recognised is a cousin who grew up with us in Malawi. She doesn't remember her kids or her second husband who died about 10 years ago. The cousin visits once a year because she lives in the UK too. I worry about her but living in SA I can only go by what I hear from others and the home.
It's part of a condition called musical ear syndrome. My mum has had it for a few years now after she lost her hearing. it's something similar to the phantom limb that a person feels after they lose an arm or leg - more of the brain sending out signals to a body part that isn't there. In the case of deafness, the brain starts creating it's own sounds when it can't hear any and this results in auditory hallucinations. The doctors told us that it could also be the result of clots, lesions or tumors in the brain, so it's a good idea to get a thorough check done.
I, once in awhile , will get a signal that tries to change the volume in my aids. It only tries to increase the volume. This signal also interferes with a motion sensor I have to let me know that someone is near the front door. I have been thinking it is some one attempting to connect to a wireless network. And back in the day when you could get hearing aids in your glasses, I knew a person that could receive the broadcast of the San Francisco Giants ball game on his old aids while waiting at a corner to cross to the parking garage.
Other side communications - they do happen.
When my father crossed over, someone helping me with his house 3,000 miles away, that next week, commented that the toilet wouldn't shut off. On closer exam she noticed the chain came loose from the ball lever so she fixes it. Next day the chain was off again and the second bathroom had the same problem.
She reported it to me and I had had the same problem happening in my condo - for the first time, fixed it, and it had happened a second day.
In the middle of grumbling fixing it the second time I tuned into the possible "message": he was letting me know my "ball and chain", my endlessly needy father, had made it across.
After I said an out loud "Thank you for letting me know you made it. " - neither his house nor my condo had any repeat episodes of the ball and chain or anywhere else.
==It could be a radio signal to her hearing aids--I had a patient, years ago, who experienced that. Had to get his hearing aids adjusted. I'd think the modern ones wouldn't do that, but hey, with HAARP etc. military stuff, who knows? [but those would sound like hums in various patterns, not voices]
==Drugs can cause visual and auditory hallucinations or delusions; her Doc should know of this, and look at perhaps side effects of one or more of her meds.
==Hearing impairment, especially when it is 1/2 gone or more, causes a form of mental isolation; the mind can be triggered into various memories that are so clear, it's like they were really happening again.
==As an elder's autonomy decreases, fear [a very strong survival instinct], can increase, which can trigger thoughts, visuals and auditory sensations that are out-of-suynch with our reality.
==Yes, some can sense they are in the presence of previously deceased relatives and friends, see angels, hear messages, etc. I would not count those out, but, would sure rule-out physical triggers, first.
Reassuring someone, is important; let them know you are there for them, and, that you are trying to help figure out where it is coming from. Always get as many details as you can, to help figure what it is.
---If it's visual, look around to see if there is anything that even remotely resembles what they describe, that could have been embellished by their minds.
---If it's auditory, check hearing aids, neighbor's activities [it really might be neighbor's audio equipment, or construction nearby, etc.]..even a baby monitor used to monitor an elder. It's unlikely tinnitus could cause anyone to hear voices speaking words, but it could cause noises that vaguely resemble voices making some sons-like hubbub, more like in a distance.
---If they believe someone's coming into their house, or room: what does the person look like, when did it happen, what did they say or do while there, etc.
Once you have enough details, it's easier to figure out the source.
Sometimes the elder just needs more 1:1 time to keep them better connected with here and now.
They often need reassurance that it's 'just the bolts holding the TV bracket to the wall' [for instance], or, their hearing aids need new batteries or repaired, or the baby monitor is picking up outside signals.
If their mind is playing tricks on them, and it's not medication related, and, if those are benign tricks, do what you can to reassure them, be supportive. Encourage them to talk with you about what they see or hear, of angels, dead loved ones, etc.
Let them tell you as much as they are able; do what can realistically be done.
You might learn something amazing, or you might learn the elder needs their meds adjusted. Or you might just get to spend a few more precious moments with them.
And, can be voices. New high-tech stuff being tested, supposedly can make people hear voices in their heads, used for crowd control, etc....but as far as I know at this time, it's experimental. Without hearing aids. It's broadcast like radio signals. If they bring this Tech to broader use, we might all be hearing voices in our heads!
And back in the day when you could get hearing aids in your glasses, I knew a person that could receive the broadcast of the San Francisco Giants ball game on his old aids while waiting at a corner to cross to the parking garage.