She had us get her a new radio be cause she thinks the same radio show is playing over and over again. She is otherwise very much aware of what is going on. She does have macular degeneration and sometimes see things that aren’t there (a purple man in her living room, etc) she understands that those visions are not real. But unfortunately she doesn’t believe that her audio processing is wrong. I know it is auditory hallucinations, and her brain filling in the gaps of missing information. But how do I get her to cope with it? We have explained that someradio shows air twice during the day, etc… right now I am going to take her to the radio station to see if they can explain it to her. Does anyone have any tips to navigate this?
Then she wants a new radio. You tell her you'll get her one soon. You keep telling her that. You don't do it. Sit her in front of a TV and encourage her to stay there. If she's truly not processing what she hears, at least she'll have a picture to watch.
But let's get you on the right page, okay? Mom isn't very cognizant. Mom isn't otherwise very much aware of what's going on. There's no getting her to cope with it. There is no way of explaining that she'll understand. She's going to keep coming up with weirdness and you'll run yourself ragged expecting that if you take her there or bring them to her to show/tell/explain ad infinitum, she'll understand. She will not. EVER.
This is dementia. Your world and mom's world have just been upended, never to be the same. I mention this with all sincerity and best wishes: you are the one who will have to learn to cope. Not mom. She is incapable. You are not.
I wish you luck on this hard journey. I have been on it with both mother and father, then another relative and now my husband. It's never easy. Please consider memory care for her. It's a place where she'd have 24/7 professional care, and you can be there as much as you like.
Can you not just have her listen to a music station where hopefully she won't think the same song is playing over and over?
And while you say that your mother is cognizant, I am going to beg to differ, as this to me sounds like some dementia going on, and that my dear you can do nothing about, as it will only get worse.
The best thing I guess you can do is just go along with whatever she says as you will never win an argument with someone with dementia(so don't waste your time or gas going to the radio station). And you being in denial about your mother perhaps having it won't help anything in the long run either.
Have to wonder who the dementia patient is in that case.
If she is having auditory hallucinations, there is nothing you can do to fix it or convince her that her reality is not real.
I agree with funkygrandma59 - just play something else - like music she enjoys.
Or, take the radio away if is is bothering her and she wants to throw it away.
and https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24403-charles-bonnet-syndrome
Since her mind was clear at the time, I explained this phenomena to her, and read articles to her about it on the Internet. She still had the hallucinations and strange thoughts from it, but was able to understand it was her brain's way of "entertaining" her to replace the loss of her vision. If your Mom can understand this syndrome, it is easier for her to accept and channel what's she seeing or hearing in her mind to something more positive and less concerning to her.
At one point, my Mom was able to imagine beautiful flowers climbing up a fence and she'd think of things like that.
Such a strange phenomena!
So maybe your mother’s picking up on that and it’s really confusing her.
I think it’s a very sweet thing you did taking her to the radio station. And if nothing else getting out and interacting with other people is refreshing and good. It is going the extra mile, but sometimes what the heck right?
My Mr. and Mrs. both had dementia I still took them to the beach and parked and we just sat in the mobility van and watch the sunset. You do what you can.
God bless you.
Turn on music only not "talk" radio. then when she says it is the same thing you can say it is in a "loop". Or get her a playlist and you can select whatever you want.
I do think that you might be a tad wrong about the "otherwise very cognizant" mother.
If she is having visual and auditory hallucinations there is something else going on. I get the visual hallucinations with MD but with the auditory hallucinations it is worth getting checked.
Sometimes, sudden changes in mental status are caused by Urinary Tract infections. Consider getting her tested.
What does your mom's neurologist think about this change in mental status?
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