Lewy Body Dementia support

[RoseCottageDorothy]

Hi
my husband has Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia
I moved him from hospital ( he was an inpatient for three months) to a care home.
he is hyper anxious
very scared to do anything wrong and his imagination and delusions are troubling
any ideas to try to settle him?
he has limited mobility too

 

[SeaSwallow]

Hello @RoseCottageDorothy and welcome to the Dementia Support Forum. I am so sorry to read about your husband's Lewy Body Dementia, and the delusions that he is suffering from. These are so difficult to deal with as the person does believe that they are true and nothing you say will convince them other wise.
It is very hard to settle someone in these circumstances. My husband also has LBD and I try to go along with what he says as trying to contradict him only leads to him being distressed and angry. It might be useful to ask his GP if there is any medication that might help.

You might find the attached link about communicating with the memory impaired useful but it is hard to follow it at all times.

Compassionate Communication with the Memory Impaired

The following piece was posted a while ago on DSF and made a big impression on me. It is something I have referred to time after time and tried hard to follow. We have many new members who may not have seen it before. Yesterday I posted it on another Thread but thought it might be helpful if...

forum.alzheimers.org.uk

I have also attached some information from the Alzheimer's Society's website on delusions and also Lewy Body Dementia.

Delusions, paranoia and dementia

It is common for people with dementia to experience delusions (or strongly held false beliefs), which can also take the form of paranoia. Common delusions include theft or believing loved ones are trying to harm them.

www.alzheimers.org.uk

Dementia with Lewy bodies: Understanding your diagnosis

If you have recently been diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies, this booklet is for you. It will help you, and your family and friends, to understand more about the condition and how it can affect you.

www.alzheimers.org.uk

 

[LewyDementiaCarer]

Just be yourself, try and bring a calm, gentle energy into the room when you go to see him.
It's generally better to listen to the imaginings & delusions with an open heart and try to empathize with how they are feeling, I share the attached video often because I find this technique helps a lot personally.

With hallucinations, we've found that clearing the room of clutter and patterned fabrics help a lot, as well as ensuring bright light during the day and dark at night (except perhaps a baby nightlight for sleeping (to avoid shadows).

On top of this, if you are very worried, it's good to speak with the care-home and Dr about medications that may help, eg. anti-anxiety meds can help reduce some symptoms in some people.