Wife with early onset Alzheimer's experiencing hallucinations. Any advice?

Also, if this is a new symptom, insist that they check for a UTI. Call the MD.

Distractions work better for me than any medication. I know that sounds like a real non-medical answer, but I have found trying to get meds to solve some of the problems, just tend to change the problem. I get a lot less anxiety when I keep my mother with AD distracted, including when she has hallucinations.

My friend's mom does this. He doesn't really consider it hallucinations. The doctor explained it like this:
With dementia there can be age regression. For example, my friend's 89 year old mother is in stage 6-7 and believes she is around 16 years old. When she looks in the mirror (or any reflective surface), she has no idea who that old lady is and has a conversation with "her". As long as the conversations are positive and keep her in a good place, he allows it to continue. If she starts getting agitated, yelling (she actually can't speak words any more, but instead noises), then he covers the reflective surfaces to calm her.
If this is a sudden onset, I definitely agree that you should find out if she has a medication issue, or a UTI, but it could be as simple as she believes she is talking to someone else.

Very possible she is on the wrong type of medication. Call the MD.

Does she understand who that image in the mirror is? Is she talking to herself or to someone else? Does this distress her in any way?

Does she see others things or people who are not there?

How old is your wife? Do you mean that she is early in progression of the disease, or that she got it early in her life?

If she enjoys talking to her mirror image, no harm done. If this activity distresses her, makes her agitated or angry, then come up with some ways to distract her.

Hallucinations and delusions are common in many kinds of dementia.

Do you have a particular concern about this that you'd like to discuss?

I agree about the doctor. We have a good one, a psychiatrist who also has a degree in pharmacy. My husband has mild dementia from Parkinson's Disease, and this doctor has helped by adjusting his meds. It made a huge difference!

My husband who has Lewy Body Dementia also has hallucinations - don't know if I can call any of them mild or not, but he does hallucinate. The Psychiatrist has suggested that I try to distract him by asking him questions about his past. This seems to work.

I would also suggest that you let your wife talk to the mirror if in fact it is not upsetting her, but, if it gets to the point that it is being destructive to her well being, I would suggest trying a distraction. Unfortunately, this probably bothers you more than you would like to think and if that is the case, try to remove yourself from watching her do her mirror thing.... Again, distraction usually works....

Remember, we will never understand what's in the minds of our loved ones with dementia or AL, so all we can do is keep them from harm to self and others....Try distractions and let us know how it works for you....

My Mom has hallucinations, especially at night when we're suppose to be asleep. They are constant. She is in rehab right now and has a psychiatrist who is experimenting with her meds. She had been given some heavy duty meds that would have knocked out a person without dementia. The meds only increased her hallucinations. I've tried to distract her but she goes right back to the same hallucination. I'm praying that they can help her so I can get some sleep.

my husband also at night with sundowners gets hallucinations. anyone with dementia if you have access to hyperbaric oxygen it has been a miracle from my husband, the dementia has progressed but his sense of humor returned and it has slowed down the progression he is not on any meds and we chged doctors and he now goes to a nuro phyciatrist who put in on seroquil which seems to have helped alittle for the hallucinations, nuro feedback also helps we are in pittsburgh

I cared for a delightful 96 year old lady who had frequent hallucinations due to her Dementia. I helped get the group of men out of the house, and then told her I'd keep a more watchful eye and keep the door locked. When I reassure the client in that way, it makes them feel better. One client told me that a man had just been sitting on her bed talking to her, but she didn't let him stay because she was "not that kind" of lady! We had a great laugh about this, and I encouraged her for being moral. :-) But I've had a client get frightened by their hallucination, and if that happens I use what I call "Interruptive touch" (I think I made that up). Taking them by the arm, gentle and firm, and getting eye contact attention and leading them away from what they are seeing. "Don. Walk me to the front door! I'm about to leave." That kind of thing.