Could this be a sign he is going to die?

[Mamacherie]

I know this might sound silly to many but my grandpa is in Australia and has a really nasty fall. He has broken his eye socket and is in hospital. Since it has happened my Aunty has told me he keeps "seeing" people that aren't there.
He apparently was complaining about a boy coming into the room and putting a dog on his bed and insisting there were people in the room with them when there weren't. My family laugh and think he is hallucinating but a part of me wonders if maybe he is really seeing something and it is a sign he is going to cross over soon.
AIBU to think this? Does anyone have similar stories?
It is making me a little upset as I haven't seen him in awhile and he hasn't met my youngest son yet. I wouldn't be able to go due to COVID as well so really hoping it doesn't mean anything but can't help feeling this is a sign.

Is the meds.

I had horrible hallucinations when I was on Morphine - I was being eaten alive by Ravens and they were taking to me smiling.

Hope he gets better soon

Not necessarily. When my grandma was in hospital once she complained bitterly about all the cats on the ward that kept her awake at night. He’s been through and ordeal, is probably on a lot of medication and is in an unfamiliar environment with lots of strange noises etc.

Most likely caused by drugs or bump to the head. However I worked in palliative care for many years and some people do see their loved ones coming to guide them when they are in the last days of life.

It's almost certainly the pain meds, especially if he's on morphine-based ones. My DH was in hospital and two other men in his ward were hallucinating cats and dogs running around the beds. "It's surprising they let them in here, really." DH believed the medical staff were secretly making a film of his life, which was simultaneously worrying and hilarious!

My father was visited by nomads and camel herders. One small camel would trot across the wall just two feet below the ward ceiling and he was bemused the nurses would not put it outside. He got better and never remembered it.

My grandfather was ill in hospital after a fall and ended up a lot of anti-biotics, he had all kinds of hallucinations but made a full recovery and lived for many more years.

Obviously no bearing on your situation but just to say that it's not always a worrying sign

Visual and auditory hallucinations are defintely part of the end of life path and can signify you are near the end
Or it could be painkillers and concussion

Exactly. Given the age stated by the OP I would think it’s just as likely to be the former as the later.

Seen this happen loads with morphine.

I was in hospital week before last for severe dehydration after a horrendous stomach bug which meant I couldn't keep water down - for 3 days.

DH phoned the psychiatric team when I got home. I was talking absolute nonsense and he was really worried.

Psych team said it's very common with dehydration.

Could even be that?

I'm a healthy late 40's with no other conditions.

As PP have said: infection, medication or dehydration, are the more likely causes.

Definitely ask them to check if he is drinking enough, if his face is bruised, it probably hurts to move his jaw and he might be dehydrated without them realizing.

Hand in hand with that is checking for a urinary tract infection, again very common in elderly people who are hospitalised as they cant trot off to the loo whenever they want. If both are checked and normal, its probably the drugs.

I think the medics looking after your DGF would have told his closest relatives if they thought he was actively dying. Certainly people very close to death often experience auditory and visual hallucinations especially of close relatives both past and present.ä

It sounds from what you’ve said though that he is more likely to be having side effects from painkillers and probably has concussion as he has really taken a big knock to his poor head.

I totally agree that it’s important he is checked for dehydration and urine infection both of which can cause hallucinations and all sorts of unusual behaviour in older people. I hope he is soon back to his usual self.

I work in hospital on a ward for older people and dementia patients. Many of them are delirious and having hallucinations, generally for the reasons PP’s have outlined (meds, dehydration, UTI’s, after a fall). Most delirium episodes is acute and should resolve. If it persists, the medical team in our hospital follow a delirium pathway to ensure that all possible causes of delirium have been considered. Hope he feels better soon.

Aah bless him - most likely to do with painkillers, possible underlying infection, or eyesight issues or a combination of these... hope he recovers quickly & gets home soon x

I've seen visitors at my bed wearing biker clothes, giant insects on my hospital bed and kittens in my baby's cot!