The Difference Between Hallucinations and Delusions
Elderly Care in Berkeley Heights NJ
On your elderly care journey with an aging parent who is coping with Parkinson’s disease, some of the greatest challenges that you may face are the non-motor skill symptoms. These symptoms
are those that do not involve mobility, movement, balance, or coordination, and because they are not as readily associated with Parkinson’s disease they are often overlooked or inappropriately attributed to some other condition. Recognizing these symptoms and acknowledging that they are, in fact, an element of your parent’s progressive journey through Parkinson’s disease helps you to be more prepared to handle them and to integrate the management and resolution of them into your other care efforts for this disease.
One of the reasons that these non-motor skill symptoms are challenging is because they are often confusing and you may not be able to immediately recognize what your parent is facing or what you should do about it. This is when education and awareness are so important. Understanding the common symptoms and being able to tell the difference between symptoms that may seem very much alike or that may be commonly confused when they pertain to Parkinson’s as well as other conditions will help you to better sympathize with your parent, evaluate his specific needs, and work with his doctor and elderly health care services provider to come up with ways to address those needs that are effective, personalized, and supportive.
Two of these symptoms that are often confused are hallucinations and delusions. While both of them are non-motor skill symptoms that can appear in seniors who are dealing with Parkinson’s disease, they are not the same thing and should not be approached in the same way. Differentiating between these, particularly if your parent deals with both, can help you to better prepare yourself for them and to deal with them when they arise.
Hallucinations. Hallucinations are sensory in nature, meaning that your parent experiences something with his senses that you do not experience. He might report hearing, seeing, smelling, or feeling something that is not there. It is important to note that these are not dreams. These experiences happen when the senior is fully awake and can occur at any time. These can be extremely upsetting and even frightening, so it is important to be aware of them and ensure that your parent is safe and secure when they happen
Delusions. Delusions are thought-based. These are views, thoughts, beliefs, or perceptions that are not rational, realistic, or logical. Though they can seem completely ridiculous to you or to others around the senior, it is important to remember that these are very real to your parent and that he cannot control them. He is not “trying” to think things that do not make sense or that are not rational, and he cannot make them go away. Some examples of common delusions include thinking that someone is poisoning his food, that someone is trying to hurt him, that his partner is being unfaithful, or that he is in some sort of imminent danger.
It is important to note that the presence of hallucinations and delusions do not indicate a new psychiatric condition in your parent, but they may be treatable. Make sure that you bring them up to your parent’s doctor as soon as possible so that he can guide you through ways that you can handle these issues in your usual course of care.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional elderly care in Berkeley Heights, NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.
Source: http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/non-motor-symptoms/Psychosis
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