Confused

[cheryl k]

I spoke to my Dad tonight and had quite a strange conversation. Last week he told me he won a drawing at his Assisted Living facility where he lives for the family. He asked that I arrange it with my brothers family. My Dad and brother are having trouble connecting and it is getting harder for my Dad. I scheduled the dinner for this coming Sunday. Tonight he informed me it was really only for one person which he found out about today, but he wants to keep it the way we have it and we will pay the difference. In continuing the conversation, he informed me he has had chest pains the last 2 days and bad headaches. He told his nurse, she looked at his tylenol which we had for him and sait it had expired proceeded to throw it away. He said the nurse gave him some and he should ask for more if he needs it. I called the nurse to ask about the chest pains and the tylenol. The nurse knew nothing about this and nothing was written in his chart.

My question could he be hallucinating and imaging this whole episode. This has never happened before. Have we entered a new stage of this alzheimer's.

I sure would appreciate any help. Thanks Cheryl

 

[grobertson62]

My dad had hallucinations all the time.
They were real to him no matter how bizarre..there was no point trying to contradict him as he just got frustrated. He even went to france for a bath as there was no hot water...in a mcdonalds van

 

[dora]

Hallucinations??

I don't have any experience of anyone having hallucinations.

However, this sounds more like a situation where the person remembers something happening, like the nurse visiting, but can't remember any details, so they substitute a memory from another occasion. My MIL came up with a bizarre reason why my FIL wasn't in the house, then we discovered that this had actually happened many years ago!

I would describe a hallucination as the person hearing or seeing something that you can't see or hear.

This factsheet has a section on hallucinations.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=1408

Is this a new phase? I think it means that you have to be cautious about accepting things your Dad tells you.

 

[juniepoonie]

hi Cheryl don't know what stage your dads at but for sure my BIL has episodes of thinking things have happened that have not an I think its very common at some stage of the illness. I just go along with whatever he says because they are very real to him an I dint want to cause more confusion. hope that helps take care juniepoonie

 

[rajahh]

Last night we watched dragons den Haven't watched it for ages. Anyway as my husband was going to bed he talked about one of his brothers going to start up a business and needing money from all the other brothers!!. He wanted to know there and then all about his finances, and how much capital he had etc etc.

When I tried to explain maybe it was from TV he came as close as he ever has to actually hitting me!!!

I backed off and left the room, and he forgot all about it.

Until tonight again at around the same time, he is back on the track of having to contact his brothers.

I do not call this a hallucination I think it might be called confabulation.

Whatever it is it gets so hard to deal with.

The other poster is right you are going to have to regard everything he says as questionable now.

Jeannette

 

[LYN T]

Hi Cheryl

Sorry to read that you are so worried.

My Husband suffers from hallucinations (some 'nice' some scarey') but he has in the past suffered from delusions. As opposed to hallucinations where the sufferer sees/hears/smells something they believe to be real, delusions are made up beliefs.

For example my husband really believed he had managed to teach the next door neighbours cat to read. (He was an ex collage lecturer so probably a connection). I looked out of the window one day and he was leaning over the garden wall, book in one hand and ruler in the other with the cat staring at him. In his world he was really excited because he had taught the cat to read He was most disappointed that our mutt wouldn't stay still long enough to be 'taught' and in my husband's eyes the dog needed to be punished. (another long story)

Is it possible you can contact the nurse and explain to her your concerns-I would imagine your Dad would need to see his consultant. As you say it could be a new stage but there is medication that could help if it is hallucinations /delusions.

Take care

Lyn T

 

[cheeky1]

My Dad has delusions and we get the exactly the same stories daily about him having been back to work and also about what caused the cancerous growth on his hand.to him they are real and we just go along with it.He is also now watching the clouds and seeing faces of people who are no longer with us this is apparently all part of the illness.I dont know what stage Dads at but its not much fun!! xx

 

[cheryl k]

Thank you so much everyone for your help, examples and suggestions. I really appreciate all the advise. Everyone has given me alot to think about. I definitely will verify everything Dad tells me from now on.

Dad called me tonite left 5 messages -- he was so upset. He informed me the dinner being offered tomorrow nite is absolutely unacceptable and told them to cancel our dinner and now he wants me to correct his actions to have the dinner. By the time he informed me of this everyone had left for the night. I definitely will call in the morning to find out what is going on. I have noticed Dad gets worse whenever my brother is involved and I don't know how far to push having this dinner. Thanks everyone wish me luck I sure din't know what I would do without my friends on TP. Thanks again Cheryl

 

[MReader]

My husband also thinks things have happened but is getting muddled with the past & things he would like to happen.
The latest is that he is convinced that last week he played in a brass band on the green in front of where we live.
He did play in bands for about 60 years (from when he was 8) but has not played since his stroke & subsequent dementia 4 years ago.
It is so sad - I wish it had been true and he had played.