MedicineNet

home > alzheimer's center > alzheimer's a-z list > alzheimer's disease patient caregiver guide index > alzheimer's disease patient caregiver guide article

Alzheimer's Disease Patient Caregiver Guide (cont.)

Hallucinations and Delusions in a Person with Alzheimer's Disease

As the disease progresses, a person with Alzheimer's disease may experience hallucinations and/or delusions. Hallucinations are when the person sees, hears, smells, tastes, or feels something that is not there. Delusions are false beliefs that the person thinks are real.

  • Sometimes hallucinations and delusions are signs of physical illness. Keep track of what the person is experiencing and discuss it with the doctor.

  • Avoid arguing with the person about what he or she sees or hears. Try to respond to the feelings he or she is expressing. Comfort the person if he or she is afraid.

  • Try to distract the person to another topic or activity. Sometimes moving to another room or going outside for a walk may help.

  • Turn off the television set when violent or disturbing programs are on. The person with Alzheimer's may not be able to distinguish television programming from reality.

  • Make sure the person is safe and does not have access to anything he or she could use to harm anyone.

  • Discuss with the doctor any illness the person has had or medicines he or she is taking. Sometimes an illness or medicine may cause hallucinations or delusions.

Wandering: A Problem for a Person with Alzheimer's Disease

Comment on this

Keeping the person safe is one of the most important aspects of caregiving. Some people with Alzheimer's disease have a tendency to wander away from their home or their caregiver. Knowing how to limit wandering can protect a person from getting lost.

  • Make sure that the person carries some kind of identification or wears a medical bracelet.

  • Consider enrolling the person in the Alzheimer's Association Safe Return program if the program is available in your area. If the person gets lost and is unable to communicate adequately, identification will alert others to the person's medical condition.

  • Notify neighbors and local authorities in advance that the person has a tendency to wander.

  • Keep a recent photograph or videotape of the person with Alzheimer's to assist police if the person becomes lost.

  • Keep doors locked. Consider a keyed deadbolt or an additional lock up high or down low on the door. If the person can open a lock because it is familiar, a new latch or lock may help.

  • Install an "announcing system" that chimes when the door opens.

Patient Comments

Viewers share their comments

Alzheimer's Disease Patient Caregiver - Experience Question: Please describe your experience with an Alzheimer's disease patient.
Alzheimer's Disease Patient Caregiver Guide - Diagnosis Question: Has a friend or relative been diagnosed with Alzheimer's? Please share your story.
Alzheimer's Disease Patient Caregiver Guide - Communicating Question: Please share tips for communicating with a relative or friend who has Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's Disease Patient Caregiver Guide - Eating Question: Getting an Alzheimer's patient to eat can be difficult. Please share tips for meal ideas and routines.
Alzheimer's Disease Patient Caregiver Guide - Activities Question: In what ways do you help your friend or loved one with Alzheimer's stay active and engaged?
Alzheimer's Disease Patient Caregiver Guide - Sleeping Question: Do you deal with a restless Alzheimer's patient? How do you make sure he/she gets sleep at night?
Alzheimer's Disease Patient Caregiver Guide - Wandering Question: Alzheimer's patients tend to wander. What steps have you taken to ensure his/her safety?
Alzheimer's Disease Patient Caregiver Guide - Nursing Homes Question: At some point an Alzheimer's patient will need assisted or residential care. How did you select one?
Print
MedicineNet Doctors

Suggested Reading on Alzheimer's Disease Patient Caregiver Guide by Our Doctors

  • Related Diseases & Conditions

    19 articles
    • Dementia
      • Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There
    • Dehydration
      • Dehydration is the excessive loss of body water. There are a number of causes of dehydration including heat exposure, prolonged vigorous exercise, and
    • Anxiety
      • Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately
    • Stress
      • Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There
    • Depression
      • Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and
    • Alzheimer's Disease
      • Alzheimer's disease is a common cause of dementia. Symptoms and warning signs of Alzheimer's disease include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar
    • Dysphagia
      • Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing, swallowing problems. Dysphagia is due to problems in nerve or muscle control. It is common, for example, after a
    • Sleep
      • A number of vital tasks carried out during sleep help maintain good health and enable people to function at their best. Sleep needs vary from individual
    • Brain Lesions (Lesions on the Brain)
      • Brain lesions (lesions on the brain) are caused by trauma, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, cancers, other diseases, stroke, bleeding, pituitary adenomas,
    • Stress Management Techniques
      • Stress may be considered as any physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental unrest and that may be a factor in disease causation.
    • Hypothermia
      • Hypothermia is having a body core temperature of less than 35 C or 95 F. Most causes of hypothermia are preventable. Risk factors for hypothermia include
    • Insomnia Treatment (Sleep Aids and Stimulants)
      • Insomnia is difficulty in falling or staying asleep, the absence of restful sleep, or poor quality of sleep. Insomnia is a symptom and not a disease. The
    • Mental Health
      • Mental health is an optimal way of thinking, relating to others, and feeling. All of the diagnosable mental disorders fall under the umbrella of mental
    • Urinary Incontinence in Women
      • Millions of women suffer from urinary incontinence (UI). UI occurs twice as often in women as in men. There are many types of urinary incontinence: stress
    • Fitness
      • Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of disease. Regular exercise can also reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety. There are fitness programs
    • Depression in the Elderly
      • Depression in the elderly is very common. That doesn't mean, though, it's normal. Treatment may involve antidepressants, psychotherapy, or electroconvulsive
    • Bowel Incontinence
      • Bowel or fecal incontinence refers to the loss of voluntary control of stool, or bowel movements. The condition can include partial incontinence, in which
    • Caregiving
      • Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority
    • Alzheimer's Disease: Financial Planning
      • Alzheimer's disease can be not only mentally devastating to an indivdiual and family, it can also be emotionally devastating. Preparing financially for

  • Medications

    1 articles

  • Procedures & Tests

    0 articles

  • Pictures, Images & Quizzes

    4 articles

  • Doctor's & Expert's Views

    2 articles

  • Health News

    13 articles

  • Health Features

    0 articles

Stay Informed!

Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE!


Symptom Checker: Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain

From WebMD

Healthy Resources
Featured Centers
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE!