Is it usual for people with dementia to hallucinate

[stonegreen]

Earlier this year my mother had a car crash in which her car was written off but she was seemingly unharmed. She is in her early 70's and was previously well. In the following months she has deteriorated rapidly in terms of both confidence and mental health, lost a lot of weight (5 stone) because she no longer cooks or eats properly, constantly complains of a bad back (an x ray has shown no problem). Her main problem is her continuous worry about having to cater for "all these people" (she lives alone) and the fact that she has "sleep overs" every night which she can no longer cope with. "They" disturb her one after the other all night so that she can't sleep. Every thing seems huge to her - the trees are looming and massive, cars on the other side of the road make her wince, even little noises make her jump, she has become very nervy. She has 2 cats and a dog which are always described as "the children" which she frets about and follows around all day. She is really cross with the dog at the moment as "she is no longer talking to her" and she says she doesn't know what she has done to upset her.
I have had her to the doctor who sent her for an x ray to discount a back injury, did urine and blood tests. When we went for the results, he said the urine test was clear and said that we had "to get together as a family to discuss how to move forward with her memory issues" and said he could refer her for a CT scan but it "would only confirm what we already know" and suggested we did research on this website. He did say to go back for advice or to ask for further tests. I have tried to arrange to see him without my mother but he says he can't discuss it without her there.
Today I was talking about her today and someone suggested it sounds like Dementia with Lewy Bodies. My mother says she doesn't want to go back to the doctor as she is fine. When she is imagining all these other people, should I be telling her there is no one there/reassuring her. She was furious last week that her neighbour told her she was imagining them. Should I tell her she has dementia and we need help. Any ideas on getting her back to the doctor without alarming her. She still drives which is a major worry but lives too far out to manage without a car.
Any advice very welcome, thank you

 

[CeliaW]

Hello - on reading the start of your post, may instinctive thought was Lewy Bodies dementia. How hard for you all - hopefully we can give you some help and support here on TP.

I think you need to write down a diary for a week of just how your Mum is. How she acts out of character, any distress, any symptoms that are obviously memory related and also any safety issues and about the hallucinations. You then need to speak to the doctor and ask to share this with them and say that your mother needs a referral to a specialist. You may need to be a little devious to get your mother to the appointment - perhaps you could put a reverse spin on it and say they want to see her to make sure she is alright - rather than say that it is to diagnose dementia. You soon learn with this disease that, providing you aren't "bending the truth" for personal gain or to do harm, you have to become adept at saying something how it will be accepted and not necessarily how it actually is.

You will see other threads on here about the legalities regarding driving and it sounds as though that is a worry. There are various regulations about notification if any form of cognitive impairment has been diagnosed and, whilst it can be devastating to the sufferer to either have to be reassessed or possibly lose their licence, that cannot be allowed to outweigh their own safety and that of others.

There are various medications that may help your mother as well and that is another reason to see a specialist. She also needs to have an assessment via Social Services and you also could do with having a carers assessment. It may not mean immediate changes but it does open the door to future benefits and support.

Please keep posting and asking, I am sure others will be along with more specific comments.

Take care

Celia

 

[Wigan]

I would push for a CT scan even though the GP is saying it will only confirm what you already know. It is important to get a proper diagnosis where possible and a CT scan can assist in this.

The consultant first thought my mum had vascular dementia, now he is saying lewy body purely based on her seeing people in the garden though this has calmed down over the last week. The psychiatric nurse doesn't think it's lewy body so we are now paying for mum to see someone new in the hope that we can get a proper diagnosis and, medication that will suit her after her suffering some horrible side effects to meds already tried.

 

[Barry]

Hi stonegreen
Sorry to hear about your mother but from what you have written it sounds as though your mother should still have a CT scan to try and confirm just what sort of dementia she might have then the doctor souls be able to prescribe her the right type of medications, whether or not to tell her she has dementia is only a decision you must make based on her present condition and if she live alone?

As for the hallucinations “YES” they can be a part of the illness and even more so with Lewy Body Dementia, you really need to discuss this with your doctor further
Best wishes
Barry

 

[stonegreen]

Thank you

Earlier this year my mother had a car crash in which her car was written off but she was seemingly unharmed. She is in her early 70's and was previously well. In the following months she has deteriorated rapidly in terms of both confidence and mental health, lost a lot of weight (5 stone) because she no longer cooks or eats properly, constantly complains of a bad back (an x ray has shown no problem). Her main problem is her continuous worry about having to cater for "all these people" (she lives alone) and the fact that she has "sleep overs" every night which she can no longer cope with. "They" disturb her one after the other all night so that she can't sleep. Every thing seems huge to her - the trees are looming and massive, cars on the other side of the road make her wince, even little noises make her jump, she has become very nervy. She has 2 cats and a dog which are always described as "the children" which she frets about and follows around all day. She is really cross with the dog at the moment as "she is no longer talking to her" and she says she doesn't know what she has done to upset her.
I have had her to the doctor who sent her for an x ray to discount a back injury, did urine and blood tests. When we went for the results, he said the urine test was clear and said that we had "to get together as a family to discuss how to move forward with her memory issues" and said he could refer her for a CT scan but it "would only confirm what we already know" and suggested we did research on this website. He did say to go back for advice or to ask for further tests. I have tried to arrange to see him without my mother but he says he can't discuss it without her there.
Today I was talking about her today and someone suggested it sounds like Dementia with Lewy Bodies. My mother says she doesn't want to go back to the doctor as she is fine. When she is imagining all these other people, should I be telling her there is no one there/reassuring her. She was furious last week that her neighbour told her she was imagining them. Should I tell her she has dementia and we need help. Any ideas on getting her back to the doctor without alarming her. She still drives which is a major worry but lives too far out to manage without a car.
Any advice very welcome, thank you