My father I believe has Lewy Body Dementia from Parkinson's Disease. Lately it has been getting worse. He has a full time aide 12 hours a day, and most of the time he gets along with her. But sometimes he believes she is telling him things and doing things to him that don't happen. Yesterday he told me she told him someone killed her baby, so her husband killed that person, and they were going to pin it on my dad. He at times believes people have the mafia tracking me and going after me.
I am getting him into his doctors, but unfortunately he fights against seeing his primary care doctor. He lives in an Assisted Living Facility, but I am starting the process to get him diagnosed so he can get the right care. He does not want to admit what is happening, which I understand, but it is so hard to help when he gets angry at me wanting him to go to the doctor. I lose my patience at times, so I have learned to lean on my sister, who lives farther away and does not deal with him on a daily basis. She has more patience with him.
Her broken dementia brain latches onto negativity and runs with it.
I have the most success reframing the story.
“I’ll check with the staff.”
(leave her room briefly, then come back)
“Yes, the police were here yesterday, just visiting a retired colleague. I saw that case on the news! Awful! The police must have been discussing it with their retired colleague because, on the news, they said it happened an hour from here.”
She needs to be right or she digs in and rages. Perhaps your father isn’t as advanced as my mother, but this is what’s working for me now. Try taking his reality and giving it a twist.
We may be extra lucky, but OURS is great, and has been very helpful guiding my LO through the twists and turns of diagnosis and care.
It would seem that you dad might find the less red tape the better approach more functional rather than having to go “out” to meet with a doctor.
I find hallucinations more difficult for me than for the hallucinator. Sometimes I just feel as though I can’t be sure.