What Stage of Dementia is Hallucinations?

There’s nothing more heartbreaking than watching someone you love address people who aren’t in the room, or flinch at sounds no one else hears. That’s probably why families are asking their doctors, what stage of dementia is hallucinations. Knowing how hallucinations fit into the progression of dementia can be incredibly helpful. It educates families on how to respond with composure, make more intelligent decisions, and get the right in home dementia care sorted out as early as possible.

Call Visiting Angels of Leesburg at 571-258-0111 or Contact us to request more information about dementia care services.

Understanding Dementia and Hallucinations

People with dementia sometimes describe a sensory experience that just isn't there at all. This is called a hallucination. According to the Alzheimer's Association, when someone with dementia is hallucinating, they might see, hear, smell, taste, or feel something that just isn't real. Some hallucinations can be really terrifying, while others might just be ordinary memories of past events springing up in their brain.

Dementia and hallucinations are related in that dementia interrupts sensory processing in the brain, which can then lead to hallucinations. The Alzheimer’s Society reports that the most common hallucination is visual, due to the brain damage from dementia that deteriorates over time. The report also found that these hallucinations are most common in those with Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Alzheimer’s patients can experience them too.

But, not all strange sensations are bona fide hallucinations. Dementia patients are often misdiagnosed and mislabeled as hallucination, when in reality, they are simply mistaken about what they’ve seen.

What Stage of Dementia is Hallucinations Most Common?

This is a question several families most desperately want answered. At what stage of dementia is hallucinations most likely to manifest? And the short answer is, hallucinations can occur at any time, but this risk becomes much higher as dementia advances.

Hallucinations in dementia are most common during the middle (moderate) to late (severe) stages.

Also as Per Healthline, hallucinations aren’t common in the mild or early stage. During the moderate stage, however, visual hallucinations may become more frequent as memory, communication and daily activities become increasingly difficult. During the later stages, hallucinations can take more intense forms, often involving other sense organs, which leads to hearing imaginary voices or smelling odors that are not real.

Another research confirms that hallucinations and delusions are associated with behavioral disturbances, faster cognitive decline, caregiver burden, and institutionalization. This is why early diagnosis and professional help for seniors going through this stage of the disease is so critical.

What Causes Hallucinations?

Common triggers include:

Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common causes of sudden confusion and worsening cognitive symptoms in the elderly, one of which is hallucination. Any new or worsening hallucinations need to be looked at right away by a doctor.

Medication side effects

Hallucinations are a rare but recognized side effect of certain drugs, and Parkinson’s medicines in particular have a tendency to trigger them. A medication review by the prescriber is always needed to prevent these side effects.

Poor lighting and environmental factors

Sometimes, seniors claim to see a swarm of insects coming for them, whereas what they’re seeing is simply a busy pattern on the carpet nearby. Such misperception may be wrongly chalked up to hallucinations. Installing brighter lights and reducing busy patterns in your loved one’s home also helps prevent wrong illusions or hallucinations.

Sensory impairments

Some seniors with bad vision start to hallucinate due to poor eyesight, not dementia per se. Regular checkups to examine your vision and hearing are a crucial but often overlooked step to prevent hallucinations.

Delirium

Inflammatory and infectious diseases like pneumonia, for example, can interfere with brain functioning and cause delirium. Delirium is a medical emergency which can also cause individuals to hallucinate.

Can Dementia and Hallucinations Be Cured?

No, hallucinations due to dementia cannot be cured, though they can be managed. The Alzheimer’s Association advises that the first line of treatment for behavioral symptoms such as hallucinations should be non-pharmacological approaches. If those strategies don’t work and symptoms are severe, medication may be fitting. However, antipsychotics in elderly dementia patients carry the additional risk of stroke and death and need to be administered with extreme caution.

Choose Visiting Angels Leesburg for Dementia Care Support

Navigating dementia and hallucinations at home demands patience, training, and a steady presence that the average family caregiver cannot muster on their own. Visiting Angels Leesburg provides expert in-home dementia care thanks to having well-trained caregivers who are equipped to safely address hallucinations, de-escalate anxiety, and keep well-established routines that reduce triggering moments throughout the day.

Visiting Angels Leesburg has received multiple Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice awards, a testament to our ongoing family satisfaction and continued excellence in care throughout Northern Virginia.

Understanding that hallucinations can come with dementia allows families to stop the guessing game, and start responding strategically. Call Visiting Angels today at  571-258-0111 or Contact us to schedule your free in-home consultation.