Many aging individuals suffer from dementia. This debilitating condition can not only cause memory loss; it might lead to hallucinations that can affect the day-to-day life of the elderly patient and his or her caregivers.
Home care providers must be able to respond effectively when a patient experiences a hallucination. Try using these three methods the next time an elderly person in your care begins to hallucinate in order to diffuse the situation safely.
1. Assess the severity of the hallucination
Before you can decide how you should respond to an elderly patient's hallucination, you need to determine the severity of the event. Some hallucinations do not negatively interfere with daily life. These hallucinations can include seeing a loved one or reliving a cherished memory. You don't need to intervene if the hallucination poses no immediate threat.
If the elderly patient appears to be distraught or is acting erratically as a result of the hallucination, you will need to step in and provide immediate care to prevent a potentially deadly accident.
2. Attempt to distract the elderly patient
Disrupting an elderly patient's hallucination can be an effective way to take the focus off the hallucinated images and turn the patient's attention to a more constructive activity.
Use a gentle touch so that you don't frighten the patient and speak in a calm and reassuring voice. Guide the patient out of the area where the hallucination is occurring and divert his or her attention to a task that is enjoyable.
Interactive tasks like putting together a puzzle, gardening, or playing a board game can serve as an effective distraction from the hallucination, allowing the elderly patient to experience relief.
3. Eliminate items that trigger hallucinations
If you have an elderly patient who experienced repeated hallucinations, try to discover the item or items that might be acting as a trigger for the hallucinatory experiences.
Some dementia patients see frightening images in mirrors or become terrified of shadows. Covering mirrors with a piece of fabric or keeping the curtains drawn to eliminate shadows can help reduce the likelihood that your elderly patient will experience a negative hallucination in the future.
Dementia hallucinations can be dangerous and frightening. Responding to these hallucinations with care and compassion will allow you to eliminate some of the risks your elderly patient may face when enduring a hallucinatory experience. Assess the severity of the hallucination, distract the patient with enjoyable activities, and remove trigger objects to better manage hallucinations in the future.
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