Find Senior Care (City or Zip)
Join Now Log In
F
Floridagirl6 Asked November 2019

My mom lives at MCF and is in late stages of AD, she's recently started telling me stories I'm not sure if she's having hallucinations..

Mom told me a story today about my brother being at her MCF (Memory Care Facility) last night with a girlfriend, but they weren't visiting with her but other people that were there. She told me how they made a scene by being affectionate and how everybody was asking her about it. She says that she DID NOT visit with them. She wasn't upset, couldn't really articulate exactly what happened but just that it was not appropriate behavior to have in the dining room area of her wing and did I hear about it? I just went along with her story and listened. I know that the later stages of AD can bring hallucinations (and I don't think that's what she was describing to me), story telling and other behavioral changes. Although this isn't the first "story" she's come up, there's been a handful of them in last few weeks but they all seem harmless and out of the blue. My brother is married and wasn't there last night. I'm not sure if my mom saw someone last night who looked like my brother with his family and she is recounting that or if it's all just made up for some reason or if its an indication of what's to come or all of the above.... If anybody has any experience/insight with this "story telling" and how you handle it that you can share I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

emanes Nov 2019
My mom does not have AD and is actually very cognitive 90% of the time. But a couple of weeks ago, a nurse at her NH called me saying she was extremely upset because she thought I had been in a major car accident, and she wouldn't eat. The nurse gave her the phone and I assured her I was fine, there was no accident. It took me several minutes to convince her. She had been treated for a UTI just a day or two earlier. I think that's what caused her confusion. The next day she seemed quite normal and didn't ask about it at all.
Floridagirl6 Nov 2019
Thanks, good to know. I will be taking her to the doctor to check for UTI.
Ahmijoy Nov 2019
My mother lost all touch with reality as her dementia progressed. Her room was an apartment in Chicago. She was a famous actress on the New York stage. It would occasionally deteriorate into upsetting delusions for her and those were hard for all of us to handle. I never argued with her and she had a wonderful aide who did her best to calm my mother’s fears. This is just one of the hardest things of cooingnwith this disease. .
Floridagirl6 Nov 2019
I know I hate this disease, my moms the oldest of 10 kids and she and 3 of her siblings currently have a diagnosis of AD. This sucks... but what are we gonna do? I'm hoping and praying there will be more medical breakthroughs providing for some form of relief or prevention from this illness or even a cure one day. I'm not part of the Medical community, (except for being a patient) however, it doesn't seem there's much help (medicinally or otherwise) current day for these patients. I can't imagine what are world will look like in the next 25 years in respect to all the elderly afflicted with Dementia/Other Cognitive Impairments; I can only imagine the system and society will be completely over burdened and it worries me but I know I have to concentrate on today and what I can do for my mom now.
Thanks for your post!

ADVERTISEMENT


lealonnie1 Nov 2019
My soon to be 93 y/o mother also lives in Memory Care & loves to tell the story of her neighbor who lets everyone know that her boyfriend comes by each night, takes his pants off and 'screws her' passionately!!! It's not true, of course, but it's the story her mind has conjured up, much to my mother's chagrin.

Confabulation is quite common with dementia & Alzheimer's and these stories come from out of the blue. You are wise to just go along with what your mom believes to be true, and let it go at that.

Sorry you are having to go through all of this.......I know how difficult it truly IS. Right there with you in the trenches, my friend. We'll get through it, one day at a time.
Floridagirl6 Nov 2019
Leolonnie1, it's so awesomely comforting to hear/know that I'm in good company!! Thank you for always sharing so honestly, supportively and so compassionately, It is Greatly Appreciated! God Bless you and your mom Leolonnie1. We are sending you hugs and wishing you a Peaceful Happy Thanksgiving Day!
YES, WE WILL ALL GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER STEP BY STEP!! 8-)
Geaton777 Nov 2019
I don't think it is storytelling, it is a component of AD or maybe even an active UTI contributing to her confusion. It is totally possible there was no one there and her broken mind conjured it up out of no where. That's how it is with my 97-yr old aunt with AD. Non-real stories out of whole cloth that she believes are totally true. Not her fault.
AlvaDeer Nov 2019
I absolutely agree, Geaton.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ask a Question

Subscribe to
Our Newsletter