Dementia patients see people that aren't there?

Hi, Joyce,

In my experience with my mom, at a certain stage they do see people who aren't there. At various times, she saw her parents (who were long gone), thought she was at the airport (when she was at the nursing station), thought she was at the small store she used to own (when she was in a crowded hallway at the nursing home). And one time I walked into her room and said hello. Someone else came into the room and I introduced myself to the person as Dorian. Mom told me I wasn't Dorian, because that person at the other side of the room was Dorian (there wasn't anybody where she pointed). So I asked her who I was; she thought about it for a moment and then used my family nickname.

So  yes, it is quite possible that the loved one with dementia is responding to someone who isn't there. My advice is to just go with the flow and not correct them. Move the conversation to a topic you're comfortable with and go from there.

Take care and keep us posted!

Dorian

When the brain becomes damaged by Alzheimer’s disease or a related illness, it begins to have difficulty making sense of the environment.  The sensory organs, such as the eyes and ears, may be working but the brain is not able to correctly interpret the signals from those organs.  As a result, the person with dementia may see things that are not really there, hear voices or sounds that do not exist, or smell odors that nobody else seems to detect.  These are all examples of hallucinations.  Trying to convince the person that the people do not exist will most likely be unsuccessful.  Instead, validate the person’s feelings and reassure the individual that he or she is safe and redirect him or her to something pleasant. 
 
Most importantly, if a person seems to be exhibiting changes in behavior, it is imperative to see a healthcare professional.  The doctor will need to evaluate the person for any problems that could be causing the hallucinations.  This could include side effects of medications, infections, dehydration or other medical conditions.  In addition, the doctor may recommend a medication intervention to help subside these symptoms.   

My 88 year old mother frequently "sees" me as the Assisted Living bus driver, "sees" me getting out of a number of different cars in the parking lot, "sees" me working at the facility... even has face to face conversations with people that she thinks are me, and becomes very frustrated when told by these folks that they are not her son.  She thinks that they are lying to her... it gets worse.  Mom also thinks that her deceased sister is "with" her in the assisted living studio apartment that she resides in.  There are times when she will acknowledge that it can't be so.  The delusions apparently are brought on by her lonliness, even though I visit with her daily.  Those visits seem less frequent to her because she frequently naps and awakens thinking that it is morning again.  Recently, my mother zeroed in on a woman in the dining room 2 tables away and declared her to be my wife.  In summary, mom "sees" people who aren't there and sees people who are there, as someone else.  It's a very difficult situation!