Let's Talk About Hallucinations

One thing I learned through Mum's journey with Lewy Body Dementia was that hallucinations could come and go.

Looking back, Mum seemed to experience them more often when she'd had a big day and was more buggered than usual. At the time, we didn't really think about tracking them — we were simply dealing with each moment as it came.

But knowing what I know now, I think keeping a simple notebook or diary could be really helpful.

When your loved one has a hallucination, you could jot down things like:

Over time, you might start to notice a pattern.

Perhaps they happen more when your loved one is tired. Maybe there's a particular time of day when they occur more often, or they become more frequent when routine, sleep or health changes.

And even if no obvious pattern emerges, having that record gives you something useful to take to their treating doctor. Instead of trying to remember everything during an appointment, you have a clearer picture of what has actually been happening over days or weeks.

I really wish Dad or I had thought to do this with Mum. It's one of those things you learn afterwards and think, "That might have helped us understand what was happening a little better."

So I'm sharing it in case it helps another family.

And remember, the hallucination may not always be frightening to the person experiencing it. Sometimes what they're seeing may feel completely ordinary — or even comforting — to them. How we respond should be guided by how they are experiencing that moment.

Just a thought from one family's journey. 💛