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How to deal with mom's halucinations (Parkinsons)

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Posted 6/20/2008 4:15 AM (GMT 0)
I am my mom's caregiver.  She recently has been experiencing various degrees of halucinations and paranoia.  I am having a hard time dealing with this.  If someone could please tell me how I should respond to her halucinations.  Thank you, Blondie1951 :-)
Posted 6/20/2008 11:34 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HealingWell.Solving the problem to your mothers hallucinations,and paranoia might be as simple as changing her meds.I would definitely leave that to the Dr.It might help the Dr. to know when these episodes occur so I would suggest keeping a log which might include but not be limited to frequency timing,and description of the episodes.In my case my hallucinations were eliminated with a med change.Wish you ,and your mom the best.Ed
Posted 6/21/2008 11:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Blondie ,

Yekkimo , gives good advice , this is exactly what happened to a work colleagues mother , a med change cleared up the hallucinations and paranoia , in the meantime , acknowledge to your mom that she is seeing what she is seeing , that she is feeling what she is feeling , but say that you do not see or feel the same things .
Comfort her so that she feels safe , tell her that you are there to protect her .

and see her Doctor as soon as possible with a detailed log of the crisis episodes .

wishing you and your mom well , dejavu.
Posted 6/25/2008 8:42 AM (GMT 0)
How is going Blondie , have you been able to see your Mom's Doc yet ?

take care Deja
Posted 9/9/2008 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
Blondie1951:  You may already have this resolved by now (I just joined this forum today and am "catching up" with what is going on.)  The meds may be the issue.  I had a terrible incident four years ago when I was put on a diuretic by a different physician than my normal family physician and became dehydrated.  The dehydration resulted in buildup of Sinemet in my system which resulted in hallucinations.  My slow witted neurologist at the time (but certainly not after) couldn't figure out what was wrong and I ended up in a psychiatric place where the psychiatrist took about fifteen minutes to diagnose "a medically induced psychotic episode."  I lost about four days of my life as I was living in an alternate reality, of which I remember little, and I remember nothing of the things I said and did while "gone."  Oddly, I made perfect sense to everyone around me (so I'm told).  I frightened the staff at the first hospital as I kept referring to legal counsel or such and questioned the credentials of one of the medical staff at the second.  They were taking me totally serious and I don't remember any of it.  It was a bizarre experience for me and my children, who didn't know what was wrong with me and afraid I wasn't "coming back."  If this is still an issue, talk to a neurologist.  It may be the timing or amount of meds.  All the best....Jude

Posted 9/14/2008 1:58 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,

If only there's a Neurologist out there that can tell you if the med and dosage a person's on is the reason for hallucinations. My mom's doctor just nods and say everything is possible as if to cover her butt and basically to say she hasn't a clue. My mom has increased Stavelo and decreased Mirapex the past month. It's done wonders for her movement but her mind is getting worse. She takes Namenda also which is for the treatment of Alzheimers but what I don't get is why is one of the side effects ,confusion???? I mean, isn't that why people take the drug in the first place?   confused

Posted 9/16/2008 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
Bella,
When I did this with my mom-in-law we found it was a juggling act figuring out the meds on a day by day basis. It didnt' help that Mom really wanted to keep control of her own meds and was self medicating to excess. Eventually we had to step in and dispense the meds but the hallucinations and "lost in space" problems kept showing up at the oddest times. One night she called me for help, got out of bed, said "I need to use the commode" and urinated on the floor at that moment. In a split second she stepped in it, slipped and fell. I was standing right there and was totally helpless to prevent the disaster.

This lead to the use of a hospital bed for her with side rails. There were issues with this as well. We had to keep reasoning with her that the loss of her dignity (she kept saying she wasn't a baby and didn't need to be in a crib) was to keep her from falling before we could get to her to help her. In her confusion she wasn't always aware of where she was. It took a lot of patience.
Posted 9/17/2008 3:48 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jeannie,

I can definitely relate. My sister was visiting us once and slept on a sleeping bag in my mom's room. In the middle of the night my mom had to pee and I'm very sensitive to sound so I knew she was up so I got up from my room to assist her. When my mom saw a "body" on the floor she just froze and peed in her tracks.

As for your mother-in-law slipping on her own urine, that was a freak accident right? Why put rails on her bed? She didn't fall out of it right? I'm sure she feels totally useless and depressed from being treated like an invalid. Luckily for me, my mom is more flexible nowadays so she moves freely in her bed which means less chance of her falling out of it.

When I got home from work today I discovered that my mom had urine stains on the back of her white pants. Her caretaker didn't bother changing her out of them. I only noticed after she left so I called her and pretty much chewed her out for leaving my mom in dirty pants. Some people just don't have common sense.

I'm terrified that my mom may have UTI. I hate getting her urine sample because it means I have to cut up a plastic bag and tape it around the comode for her to pee in. I then have to drain it into the specimen cup for the lab. My mom can't pee into the cup directly so that's how I have to do it. It smells really bad and I alway end up spilling. If she needs antibiotics then it will make her even more confused for the next 2 weeks.

Nothing is ever easy right?
Posted 10/9/2008 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
Bella,
There is an item you can often get from a lab for collecting urine samples from women. It's called a "nurse's cap" because it resembles one, and it fits right in the commode under the seat. Very easy to use.

As far as the bed rails go, she had already broken her hip while getting out of bed after her sleeping pill. She had severe osteoporosis and once broke seven ribs bending over to get a head of lettuce out of the fridge... Bless her heart, we had a real time with her until she passed. She had unreasonable anxiety with her freezes in the night and we had to turn her every 15 minutes or so all night long. She would forget that we had been there just a few minutes earlier and think she had been left all alone all night. It was a difficult time for us all... but the daytimes, when she was lucid and caring, laughing and remembering, THOSE WERE THE BEST!
Posted 10/9/2008 4:13 AM (GMT 0)

Oh dear. That is very depressing to hear. I'm very sorry that she had to suffer like that and this makes me terrified of what's ahead for my mom. Did you hear about this woman who made a statement that said people with Alzheimers is a burden to society and should be put out of everyone's misery? I understand where she's coming from. On a practical point of view she's very right but being that we are all human beings our emotions will never allow this kind of thinking.

Thanks for the tip about the cap. I found a supplies place that sells it but for $8? WOW! Seriously now, how could something like that cost so much?

I had a tough week. My mom's caretaker quit and the senior center that she attends while I'm at work wants to kick her out. Apparently they feel my mom is too much to handle. I guess if she were 90 and was confined to a wheelchair she would be more of a model citizen. The worst was when I found out one of my bestfriends since grade school killed herself. Life is too fragile.

Posted 10/9/2008 6:27 AM (GMT 0)
Oh, Bella, I"m so sorry about how everything is going for you just now. I wish I could give you a hug... Please don't be terrified for your mom. Just take it one day at a time and I'll be praying for you. There are churches that offer respite services... maybe you could find some help there? Also, you will need to start contacting other in-house aide services for new helpers. Do you have brothers or sisters? You need someone to help out.

The woman who made that stupid statement sounds like Hitler's little sister! We can't know how our end live scenarios will play out, but I hope I'm not "disposed of" because it's inconvenient to care for me. Babies are useless and need lots of care... should they be treated with any less dignity because they aren't producing for society? The humaneness of a society can be judged by the way that they treat the elderly, mentally challenged and handicapped members. All life has value and we can only live by the golden rule as far as I'm concerned.

Talk with your doc about adjusting mom's meds to help with her moods. If you're not getting results then fire your present doctor and find another neurologist.
Posted 10/9/2008 1:10 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks for your words of encouragement. I really appreciate it. My mom's doctor luckily is not the type that likes to go prescription crazy. Basically my mom is only on 5 medications. 2 for Parkinsons, 1 for blood pressure, 1 for Trygliceride, and 1 for Alzheimers. My mom is not depressed she's generally very good natured and smile a lot. She does exhibit a lot of anxiety but her doctor doesn't think it's to the point where she needs to be medicated. The less the better.

I'm the youngest of 4 with an older sister who doesn't work because her husband has a good job. My oldest brother doesn't work either but it's due to health problems so I've been supporting him the past few months while he recooperates. My sister was paying for him for a year before telling him she's all tapped out. During this time while I've taken over the expenses my sister has been to the Philipinnes and the Island of Malta. Oh I don't want to get into this again. My other brother has a family and he pretty much lives above his means and has a wife who doesn't work and a housekeeper that is totally unnecessary.

I love my mom very very much. You can say we are co-dependent of each other because she's all I have. I rarely see my friends anymore and I certainly don't date so given the choice of either sending my mom off to a home where she can be abused or doing the best I can even though I've aged considerably the last 5 years is my only option. I keep telling myself that my time to go is when my mom goes. Actually I wish it's 5 minutes before my mom goes. That would be my wish if I could choose when I leave this earth.

Compare to what you had to go through with your mother-in-law my situation is a piece of cake. Take care.

Posted 10/15/2008 7:15 PM (GMT 0)

My mom has been a nursing home for 7 years.

She has had hallusinations along the way.  When we had

my moms cousin as caregiver, she would just talk to her about her dreams.

Sometimes my mom would accept that they were not real and other times she wouldnt.

It is difficult.  I have her close to me so I can go by to see her often but it is hard.  Most

days she starts talking about things that make no sense at all and I have a hard time staying

with her.  I do her hair to pass the time and that helps.  Also, try to be sure she is taken to

all the activities she might be interested in.  Good luck in your journey.

Posted 10/15/2008 8:05 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for sharing. 7 years is a long time. At least it sounds like she's in good care at the nursing home. I'm terrified with sending my mom to one with all the negative news lately about abuse. I am extremely close with my mom and I really don't know what I will do with myself when the day comes when I can no longer care for her myself. I know I will be in deep depression and who knows what else. My mom also makes no sense most of the time when she speaks and she does babble on and on sometimes and laughs at herself. I know she has a lot of anxiety which makes her even more confused. Please keep posting. I know there are more people like us with similar situations.
Posted 10/16/2008 2:04 PM (GMT 0)

Bella,

Its very had to not feel guilty about finding time for ourselves, but it

is an important part of caregiving.  I hope you will call your friends and

find sometime for yourself.  I know in my heart that our mothers would not

want us to quit living.

Do you have anyone who can sit with your mom so you could get out?

I've never used a church group for assistance but I'm sure

there would be a group of ladies that could stay with your mom

while you had a chance to get out. 

I have just found this site and already know it will be a help.

You are doing a great thing caring for your mom but you must

care for yourself as well.  Take care.

Posted 10/25/2008 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there, my 77 year old Mum has Parkinson's Disease, she was quite well up to a few months ago until her mobility became increasingly worse and used to fall quite a bit, she was also getting recurrent kidney and chest infections. As a result it was decided that she should be admitted to hospital to sort out her medication. At that time she was on Requip, Senimit, Parox and Symmetral. On admission she was quite normal and had her total senses!!


Unfortunately her new trial drugs: Aricept, Seroquel, Seroxot are making her extremely confused and delusional which is devastating for us to witness. She has also been put on Stalevo and advised to continue taking the Requip, our suspicion is that the new drug Stalevo is counteracting with Requip. Now our Mum is acting very strangely, has hallucinations and really bad dreams and finding it very difficult to settle in her sleep.

A pharmacist questioned her new medication and wondered was there a mistake made with her Prescription.

Has anybody any advice for us, unfortunately Mum's consultant has no people skills whatsoever which makes it very difficult for us to discuss our concerns with him.

or have any of you heard of anyone on Requip and Stalevo together?
Posted 10/30/2008 1:27 AM (GMT 0)
welcome to HealingWell.I would definitely check with the pharmacist,and ask him/her why there was a question on the prescription.Wish you and your Mom the best.Ed
Posted 11/10/2008 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
My mom is in the last stages of PD so my family has dealt with her hallucinations for a couple of years. We found that agreeing with her and discussing it seemed to calm her down. We also discontinued all medications for the treatment of PD as they seemed to increase her frustration as well as anger as mom's hallucinations always involved a woman or young girl that my dad was suposedly having an affair with. Our local sheriff lives next door and we would always pretend to call him and have whatever woman present arrested. This always worked until the next episode. But we always took these seriously as they were so real to her. Gradually the hallucinations have been replaced with visions of her family that have passed on. Mom has an extremely large family with many that have passed on, almost all have been to visit. It has renewed my faith that their is indeed a heaven and most certainly a better life after death. When Mom sees her family she has the most beautiful smile on her face so I know she really can see them. Recently she has seen a little bird that she says is calling her home. The strange part is that my grandmother did the same thing two days before her death. Hospice has been wonderful in helping my family understand her illness and impending death. They have been a tremendous support.

Posted 11/10/2008 5:19 PM (GMT 0)

Dear Sad,

My thoughts are with you.

My mom also has a large family and they come to visit frequently too.

She also used to think my dad was having an affair.

Her thoughts are not always happy, one time one of my cousins had knocked her

down but she wasnt hurt. 

 Agreeing with her does seem to be the way to go. 

When I remind her that my dad has passed on, she will look startled and then say, Well, I can still talk about him.

I've tried to have conversations with her about current happenings but it is just a short time before she is on to one of her stories.  A lot of the time she just rambles and I have a hard time understanding her.

She has lost 20 lbs this past month and 10 the previous month, however her weight is still at a good level for her height.  Swallowing has become more difficult and they have put her on puree with Ensure supplements.  Has anyone else dealt with the loss of weight like this?

God Bless

Posted 1/1/2009 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
I am so grateful to have found this site.

I have been avoiding confronting all of these impending issues with my mother, age 68. She has had pd for 12 years or so and now I am seeing a significant change. My father pretends not to be concerned about these changes- denial woks well in my family. I have always been the opposite-- My mother has really started to shuffle- and she has "tripped" in public several times recently. What do I do? I now realize I need help. I'm scared .
Posted 4/8/2009 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone,

 

As I reading the stories above, I can't help myself from crying.  I am a caregiver for my mother for as long as I remembered.  My mother passed away 2 months ago while she was in a nursing home.  She moved to the nursing home near me so that I could take care of her often.  She was in there for 10 months and it was the best 10 months of my life to be closer to her and care for her.   Somehow, I wish I can have a choice of quitting my job and take her home with me but it had been very difficult time for everyone in my family.   I was a very difficult decision to put her in the nursing home.  I was fighting for her rights and to get the care that she needs.   It is the people that they hired to do the job in the nursing home.  I've seen a good nursing home that gone bad and my mom was in one of them.   I don't know anyone who experience the problem that I had with the nursing home but because of my experience, I put a website in dedication to my mother and hoping that it will help others coping their loved one who living in a nursing home.  I will share my diary that I wrote when my mom was in the nursing home.   I would say that nursing home is the last resource for people who need 24 hours care and if I could go back in time then I would not put my mom in there.   God bless everyone and take care yourself and your family.

Chat

 

 

Post Edited By Moderator (yekkimo) : 4/8/2009 6:16:43 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/10/2009 6:32 AM (GMT 0)
becaregi, I'm there right now with my mom! I placed her in nursing home this past Oct. and it has been a constant struggle to get them to properly care for her. She can't use a call light, can't yell into the hall for help and isn't able to voice her needs, although they are very minimal. All I ask is that they turn her every two hours and make sure to keep her dry. Just had a meeting with them this am because of very poor mouth care. I have tried to explain to them several times that since she is tube fed mouth care is important. Instead I come to visit and spend my first 10 minutes cleaning her. I'm so afraid her airway will be obstructed one of these times. Now she has a wound on her hip, its been there at least 3 days and today when I brought it to their attention not one of the eight people in this meeting had any idea she even had it!!!! I would love to have her home with me, but that decision is out of my hands as I am not POA.
Posted 6/2/2009 12:26 AM (GMT 0)

Dear Blondie, please be patient with your mother.  When she tells you wierd things, listen and don't try to convince her that what she's seeing and hearing aren't real.  She won't believe you and you will only put walls between you. Help her to deal with these things that aren't real by facing them as if they were (because in her mind they are)and then learning how to handle it while not alienating the world around her.  Tell her other people don't understand but you believe her and want to help her face the worst of her fears.  This will keep her dignity intact and will not cause her to doubt her ability to function in the world. 

If you think it's bad having to deal with her, then remember it's even worse for her.  I know because I've been there!

Posted 6/8/2009 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Concerned Daughter,  Whenever I see a mention of taking Requip I can't resist putting in my two cents worth.  Requip gave me hallucinations, extreme and I mean extreme sleepiness and it can contribute to compulsive behavior such as gambling and sexual behavior.  Fortunately I avoided such behaviors as far as I know.  Unfortunately the nurse in the neurologist's office told me to just stop taking the Requip.  That led to my first ride in an ambulance.  I was awake and able to see and hear and feel, but completely unable to move any part of my body or speak.  I also had at least one auditory hallucination when the ambulance arrived and the guy's voices sounded like the voices of small children.  This condition began going away once I was in the ambulance and the hospital decided that it was due to the dc-ing of the Requip.  I took the Requip again until I could gradually stop.  Some of the other medications, like sinemet, are a bit more forgiving when you experiment with the dosage and the timing, but it's always a good idea to discuss those things with the doctor. 
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