OrganicAnn Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 My 83 year old mother was saying that there were people in her room. She lives in a senior condo by herself. We live very close by. We asked who and she said they were from the TV. We asked if she meant that she was watching them on TV and she insisted that they were in the room with her. She asked if they went out the front door. We told her that we came in the front door. There was no one that came out that way. We searched her condo, there was no one. The doors were locked when we arrived. When we asked again who they were, she named three people on TV. My DH asked if she maybe had fallen asleep and dreamed it. She didn't think so. She really believed they were in the room with her. Does this sound like a hallucination (maybe medicine related)? a stroke? a dream? dementia? She is usually in sound mind and very sharp, but she has been very slowly deteriorating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 I would get her to the doctor ASAP. Has she had any signs of having had a stroke? It does sound like a hallucination. Could be from medicine, dementia, or a medical cause such as stroke. If it was a dream, it would still concern me that she's not able to discern fantasy from reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Very common in the elderly. It could be a medication issue. It could be a health issue---I know even Vit B levels if off can produce some psych type symptoms in some elderly. Doesn't sound like a stroke but could be the start of dementia. I think the first place to start with would be her doctor who could make run a blood test and look at any of her medications for side effects, etc. I would also make sure that she is taking any medications AS prescribed---not more or less than them or at different times, etc. If she is getting confused she might be missing doses or taking more than one dose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 I agree that it is common with elderly. I would not be too concerned yet, but rather sort of monitor her for any more strange encounters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 Her medicine is not usually the type that would cause hallucinations, but if she took way too much I suppose it might. We were going out to dinner with her. She didn't have any visible signs of a stroke ie both hands, feet, sides of face appeared to be functioning correctly. I know that isn't totally a reliable indication, but at least it was some indication. I asked what she had for lunch. I was afraid she may have not eaten and that was the cause. She indicated she had a sandwich. I'm going to try to discuss it with my sister tomorrow or soon. Her job is in a medically related field and I think she knows more about this stuff than I do. We went through a set of tests with the doctor within the last year. She does have spells of imbalance. I sometimes wish we had the old fashioned doctors who really sat and listened to a patient and really examined them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 It does sound similar to some things my grandmother has said in the past few years while in the early stages of Alzheimer's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 It does sound similar to some things my grandmother has said in the past few years while in the early stages of Alzheimer's. Mine too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Was she tested for a UTI or other infection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollie010 Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 I second the UTI check. In the early stages of my grandmother's dementia this happened a lot. It usually heralded a UTI coming on. When treated the strange reports would slow down for a little while. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 . I would also make sure that she is taking any medications AS prescribed---not more or less than them or at different times, etc. If she is getting confused she might be missing doses or taking more than one dose. oh my yes. my mother was frequently messing up her rx, and would end up in the hospital (almost like clockwork as she was very resistant to help). she even called me from a care center to complain they weren't giving her her medication on schedule. I spoke with the nurse. I believed the nurse. does she have a pill planner? some pharmacies (*real* ones) will do a monthly blister pack customized to a patient's medications. they can do it for each dose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCB Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 My aunt had episodes of hallucinations and they were often associated with UTIs. People with vision problems can also experience hallucinations, and my aunt had macular degeneration so that might have contributed to them also. Eventually it was discovered that my aunt had signs of strokes on her CT scan, so hallucinations can have many causes. Definitely worth getting checked out, in my opinion, and watching carefully for any other symptoms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Possible Explanations: -Infection (Both UTI and Pneumonia in elderly can really impact them mentally) -TIA/CVA -Dementia (Alzheimers/Lewy Body/Vascular or some combination) -Medication Effect -Sleep Deprivation -Hypoxia/Shunting -Dehydration/Electrolyte Abnormalities (especially glucose, sodium) Can she be seen by her doctor (or urgent care/ED over the weekend) to at least rule out the easily reversible causes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 My first test would be for electrolytes indicating dehydration. A lot of sudden confusion is from dehydration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 I was wondering about dehydration too, especially if there are problems with bladder control, which can cause people to cut back on water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 I had forgotten about the UTI. That is a big one and easy to rule out. I remember that my grandmother would see something on TV--the news or a TV show and then that would become part of her reality and she would get the real and the TV stuff mixed up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 It does sound similar to some things my grandmother has said in the past few years while in the early stages of Alzheimer's. My grandfather is dealing with this now, and he too has Alzheimer's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 Thank you all for your ideas. I think it is the very beginning of dementia, but we are going to look into some other things (dehydration, UTI etc) just in case. It sure isn't fun to think about what this means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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