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distressed2 Asked January 2010

How do you achieve open communication with an elderly parent's doctor about treatment of hallucinations?

vstefans Jul 2012
1. Get the parent to do a HIPAA release and/or health care POA - and be prepared to show it and have copies you can leave for the files. Then you should be able to have two-way conversations with the doctors or nurses at any time, though you may be amazed how reluctant they are to share information at times. I'm a physician myself and there were times they would not have even let me check my mom's medicaiton list without the right paperwork in hand.

2. Either that or be in wiht the parent during their visit and bring it up, maybe asking because you've heard it can be a medication side effect (VERY true, BTW) and you know they are a little embarrassed about it but you know they are not crazy and so you are concerned....i.e. "Mom, I know you hate to bring this up, but you told me you were seing or hearing things that you know aren't there and Dr. needs to know in case its a medication side effect...don't worry, we don't think you're crazy!"

I know this is distressing to you, it was to me when my mom had them!! It was worse because she thought at least some of them were real. They got a lot better off Cymbalta and on Neurontin instead, but YMMV...

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