My 89 year old mother has been at a rehab facility after a fall. She has been saying that her doctor who is NOT at this facility likes to give shots to people to kill them. I was talking to one of the staff today and apparently she told the person that her daughter(me) and son in law told the doctor to give her a shot to kill her. The nurse was appalled as I have been visiting everyday, not to mention that we have been helping her the last 5 years. Can someone please tell me what to do??
I've learned to look at it as "a good read" lol.
I wish I could record some of them, they are that good!
try not to stress over them or try to figure them out or correct her. Just listen or change the subject, like "let's get a snack or ice cream"; let's take a walk, look at the lovely bird out the window...etc.
Distracting her with a treat usually helps
A doctor asking about advanced directives and health care proxy, well he's either a really good planner or he suspects her time is short. Patients don't want to hear that, so they dump the doctor.
So continue to support her and start watching videos about Alzheimers or dementia on youtube (Teepa Snow has great ones) so you can understand that it's her screwed up brain, not her true feelings. I'm sorry you have to go through this.
My mom was diagnosed with Vascular dementia after a stroke.( she had preciously been diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment; her execurive functioning wasn't great, but she was still in the same reality as the rest of us. However, when she was transferred to subavute rehab, it was clear that "something" was off. She reported that she needed to pay for "everything". That she was requured to take and manage her neds on her own (i was in the room with her and the nurse who had just administered her meds. When i looked confused about her statement, she pointed to her water pitcher with a significant look). The aide was having sexnin the bathroom. Dead bodies were being wheeled about.
We tried explaining and reasoning. That lasted for a torturous week or so before the sw suggested a psych consult.
Antianxiety meds helped a great deal. So did two different antidepressants. She continuea on all these meds and three years later, she's mostly okay. She's started to have some increased late afternoon anxiety about having a terrible skin disease, but we reassure her.
You can't argue with or reason away delusions like this. You can only reassure. "Oh mom, that must feel awful to think we'd want to hurt you" . Then distract with an activity. I know, the distraction does work with my mom. If she's terribly upset, i get the nurse and they give her an extra dose of antianxiety meds.
I'm so sorry you're going through this. It hurts like Heck!