Delusions can be a scary thing for you to hear about from your senior. They’re a common issue for people who have dementia, because your senior really is trying to make sense of what’s going on around her. There may be some factors that make delusions more likely to occur, too.
Delusions Are Real for Your Senior
As false and unbelievable as delusions are for you, they’re very real for your senior. She is experiencing, or believes that she is experiencing, exactly what she’s describing to you. Sometimes these delusions are only auditory, but very often they involve things that your senior is seeing or feeling, too. Simply denying these delusions is not going to work and may in fact make the whole situation worse. Avoid arguing with your elderly family member about reality.
Talk to Your Senior’s Doctor
It’s always a good idea when your senior is talking about something new to run it past her doctor. There may be a valid physical cause for some of the delusions your elderly family member is experiencing. Very often older adults experience different symptoms with physical ailments. A bladder infection, for instance, can result in delusions or confusion and not other symptoms that are more common in younger people.
Many Delusions Fade on Their Own
If you play along instead of fighting you can start to realize that many of the delusions that your senior is experiencing fade away. Like a dream there may be another that takes its place or your senior may fade in and out of lucid periods. Regardless, these delusions are very rarely a permanent experience that she’s going through.
Sometimes There’s a Grain of Truth
Something else to consider is that there is sometimes a grain of truth in your senior’s delusions. Her brain is trying to make sense of the world around her and it’s not working the way that it used to. That means that something simple can take on ominous overtones and become a situation that is scary for her. Not all delusions are scary, of course, but it’s also possible that there’s something real that has served as a catalyst for the delusion.
It takes some practice to deal appropriately with delusions that your senior is experiencing. As you’re learning, you might find it helpful to work with elder care providers. They have plenty of experience with people who have dementia and can share with you what they’ve learned over time.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elder Care in Newark, NJ or the surrounding areas please contact the caring staff at Perfect Touch Home Care Firm today! (908) 469-2701
About Mildrene Volcy
Mildrene Volcy is the Owner at Perfect Touch Home Care Firm in Elizabeth, NJ. In 2013, Perfect Touch Home Care Firm was established to serve our communities and provide life-enhancing home care services to those who need care and companionship. Our home health care agency makes the patient the center of our care practice. We make it easy for persons who wish to stay at home in their preferred habitat to arrange available services in an easy, dependable, and respectful way. Our team of Certified Licensed Home Health Aides meets and follows the highest standards of integrity, compassion, and dedication to caring for those in need. We even offer professional staffing services for personal and agency needs. Following industry standards, our home health aides and nursing staff can be counted on for various service requirements.
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