Definitions italic text 1 paranoia unrealistic blaming belief paranoia results from damage to the part of the brain that makes judgments and separates facts from…

Try: Definitions italic text 1 paranoia unrealistic blaming belief paranoia results from damage to the part of the brain that makes judgments and separates facts from fiction people with dementia and paranoia will not connect the unrealistic blaming belief to a realistic belief no matter how many explanations or clarifications are given by the caregivers example mrs simons can’t find the fifty dollars that she hid in the bible she has forgotten that she took the money out of the bible yesterday and hid it underneath a stock of magazines in her bedroom closet mrs simons accuses her daughter of taking the money despite her daughter having been vacationing out of state for the past two weeks 2 delusions beliefs that are contrary to fact delusions remain fixed or persistent despite all evidence to the contrary example mrs jewell firmly states to her husband of 47 years "you are not my real husband " 3 hallucinations sensory experiences that can’t be verified by anyone other than the person experiencing them any sense may be involved but seeing or hearing things is most common occasionally more than one sense may be involved example while assisting her mother with her bath mrs zimmer sees many scratches on her mother’s arms and legs when questioned about these her mother reports that despite her best efforts at cleaning numerous bugs reside in her bedding and attack her at night she brings her daughter into her bedroom turns back her bed covers and says "see them crawling " mrs zimmer cannot see any bugs possible causes italic text 1 physiological or medical cause sensory deficits especially diminished hearing and low vision also diminished taste medications particularly hormones in combination with antidepressants also any overdosage of medications brain damage due to alzheimer’s disease progression physical trauma from a blow to the head during a fall or other accident malnutrition including low fluid intake resulting in undernourishment of the brain psychiatric illness concurrent with alzheimer’s disease remember that alzheimer’s disease is not a psychiatric illness – it’s a physical illness memory loss due to brain changes and damage physical illness such as infection fever pain or fecal impaction physical illness such as anemia or respiratory disease which reduces the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain 2 environmental causes unfamiliar environment due to a move away from home unrecognized environment unrecognized caregivers unfamiliar caregivers disruption in routines removal of items from the person such as money or jewelry inadequate lighting particularly in evening misinterpretation of things in the environment due to too much going on diminished hearing or sight or non-use of sensory aids glasses hearing aids this misinterpretation seems very normal when we put ourselves in the older adult’s place if you wear glasses taken them off lie in bed while in a darkened room and have someone walk towards the bed while whispering to you you may well misinterpret their intentions now consider the above situation in an unfamiliar setting with an unfamiliar caregiver at the end of a strange stimulating day this scenario if often a true one for the individual with dementia 3 social isolation social isolation with the resulting lack of feedback from familiar others individuals talking animatedly to the air generally repel others family and friends falsely accused of persecuting or abusing an individual with dementia understandably have great difficulty accepting this behavior and often choose to avoid the individual yet the individual desperately needs the reassurance and reality orientation these familiar people can provide coping strategies italic text 1 have vision or glasses examined rapid visual deterioration is unusual but so are regular eye exams visual impairment easily leads to misinterpretation of the environment 2 have hearing tested or hearing aid regularly serviced diminished hearing also leads to ‘hearing noises’ that are unintelligible which in turn lead to ‘auditory hallucinations ‘ 3 seek a medical evaluation to assess for illness infection chronic pain or bowel impaction 4 seek a psychiatrist’s evaluation of paranoia delusions and hallucinations

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*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

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