Dementia Support Group

Some hallucinations aren't scary or harmful for the person having them. They can be upsetting to those providing care and challenging for everyone. But some can be very hard on the person and those are the times I try to get more medical help.

Exelon may help, but if these are severe enough there are meds that work a bit quicker and might help settle these down a bit. My Father takes a low dose of Seroquel which helps him. But keep in mind everyone reacts very different to meds and should be watched very carefully. Dependent on the type of dementia, there are different things to try. Do you know what type she has?

I also found that keeping this brightly lit, getting rid of object that might appear as other object (large drapes, certain objects in a room, etc) it can help. Some people remove mirrors, keep TV's off, etc.

Can you share more about what she is seeing and then maybe we can think of some creative ways to help.

I'm sorry for this and you are angel for helping her through this time.

My mother is 88 and I am seeing the same thing, trying to keep her at home. I don't know what to do also. I just spent the afternoon with her in her yard and she was fine but after tonight it will be another story, she is believing that people are gettin into her house. Last month I could get her to go another direction and get some sleep but now she won't even sleep at night.

ladydin, sorry to hear about your mom. is she ok physically? my mom's hallucinations also get worse at night but most nights she will finally settle down or just wear out and go to sleep. but, there are some times when she is just on the brink of terror that there people in the yard trying to break in the house . trying to persuade her otherwise is no good. she keeps looking out the window and what she sees is real to her. what i have found works best is reassuring her that she is safe and that we will protect her and that i have called the police and they ore patrolling the neighborhood. this usually works pretty good up to now her doctor says that if it gets to the point of her not sleeping that he will prescribe a sleep aid but we would like to hold off on that. she has been on the exelon patch for about two weeks now and we took her off caffienated coffee and sugar. my sister says she thinks it is helping but she is not here all day. good luck. h .

I understand the hallucinations. My MIL thinks the neighbor behind her is stealing her water. But what's worse, she thinks he is trying to rape her. She says he stands at the fence in his backyard just staring at her in her kitchen window. But looking out her kitchen window, you can't even see into his yard. And there is no convincing her differently.
Oh yes, and the next door neighbor climbed over the fence and stole all of her tangerines off of her tree.
She is on the Exelon patch too. I personally, don't see where it has helped.
Maybe the doctor can prescribe something else besides Exelon. I know my LO does the patch and Namenda at the same time. Some people can handle and some can't.

Well it has been a good week for my mother, just a few of those "people" I wish I new what brings her out of it and then back in. Late this afternoon when I was over I seen some nervousness in her so we will see if her people come tonight. Sometimes I think when se does something besides sit and do nothing she is better and then she goes into this thing about not being able. It is hard for me when she wants to do more than she has in a long time to let go. Tonight I did finally walk away.