How to stop or reduce delusions and hallucinations

How to stop or reduce delusions and hallucinations?

Let’s look at the following example

Yasser’s wife Latifah is living with dementia. One day, Yasser and Latifah are out for a walk. They see a woman in the distance. Latifah starts calling loudly “Hanan, Hanan , I’m over here”. Then she starts running towards a woman unknown to Yasser, a young lady who is probably about 20 years old. Latifah mistakenly believes that the young woman in the park is her sister who died in a car accident over 30 years ago. The young woman ignores her. Latifah becomes very upset.

1. Check your understanding

Mistaking a person for someone else.

What would you recommend Yasser do?
Please check all correct answers.

Soothe her in a calm voice.
This is a good response because people with delusions and hallucinations may feel frightened and insecure.

Lead her away from the woman in the park.
This is a good response because it will distract her from the young woman in the park.

Directly tell the truth, harshly, to set the record straight.
This is not a good response as it may make Latifah even more upset. Argue with Latifah that the young woman is not her sister. This is not a good response as it may make Latifah even more upset.

Argue with Latifah that the young woman is not her sister.

Say that the young woman in the park is someone who looks like her, but it is not her.
This is a good response because it maintains a positive social environment.

Involve the woman in the park in any way.
This is not helpful because it may make the situation more complicated.

Try to ‘convince’ Latifah of the truth.
This is not a good response as Latifah may not understand.

Say “Yes you are right, it is Hanan”.
This is not correct because it is not the truth.

Say “When we get home, you can look at pictures of Hanan and remember her”.
This is a good response because Yasser addresses the importance of her sister, without arguing that the young woman Latifah saw in the park was not her sister.

Now let’s look at another example

Leila’ father Taher is living with dementia. One day, Taher is a bit restless. Suddenly, he starts to look very frightened while staring at a corner in the room. He calls out to his daughter and says, “Do you see them talking?” He screams, “What are you doing there?” Leila is so overwhelmed that she feels like running away. She thinks to herself “Dad’s illness is much worse than I thought it was.”

2. Check your understanding

Seeing people that are not there.

What would you recommend Leila do?
Please check all correct answers.

Soothe her father, by saying in a calm voice “You are safe, I am with you”.
This is a good response because people with hallucinations are often feeling frightened and insecure.

Soothe her father, by taking his hand and patting it.
This is a good response because although a person’s brain may be misinterpreting the environment there could still be a reasonable cause for confusion.

Check if there is anything in the environment that could be causing Taher 's hallucination, such as shadows in the room from the sunlight. Make changes as necessary.
This is not a good response as it may make Latifah even more upset. Argue with Latifah that the young woman is not her sister. This is not a good response as it may make Latifah even more upset.

Lead him away from the room.
This is a good response because changing the environment may distract her father and end the hallucination.

Say that it is simply not true, that there are no other people in the room.
This is not a good response because arguing about what one sees or hears will not help a person experiencing delusions or hallucinations to calm down.

Tip

Check with the doctor regarding medication side effects that the person living with dementia is using. These may contribute to the problem.

2.Activity

Let’s look at your own situation
It is important to apply what you have learned to your own situation.

Unreal or unusual thoughts do not happen all the time. What would you do if the person you care for experiences them?
Try to describe different appropriate responses in the space below.

Which one would you try first?

Remember

Sometimes people with dementia have pleasant hallucinations, like seeing beautiful colors or children who are not there. If these visions are not causing the person distress, then try to enjoy them together.

lesson 6. Delusion and hallucinations

How to stop or reduce delusions and hallucinations

Tip

Remember

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