Delirium - how to cope

[nabanna]

DM ,(94,) has relatively frequent UTIs, but this is the first time she has had delirium. Started yesterday quite mildly, today spent all day telling her that the smoke/people,/animals she is seeing aren't there. Should say she is blind and has been for 3-4 years which adds a layer of complexity I think
Been through GP, 111and finally ,999 today. Ambulance service attended and were very hood. lWe and they agreed that she should stay at home with some different antibiotics which she has had 2 of now.

Question is should we keep telling her that what she thinks she is seeing isn't there or go along with her. DSis and I having different opinions / approaches

Whatever will keep her calm or make her happy IMHO, doesn't need to be factual. I remember when my grandmother had a stroke and was having all sorts of weird hallucinations, all of which were hilarious to her!

Delirium is absolutely awful. When my mum had it post-op she realised what it was at the time, but it still terrified her and freaked her out. She really found that just having someone near by to confirm to her what was reality and what was in her mind a comfort.

On the other side however, when my dad had it he got very frustrated that people were not taking him seriously and instead nurses and us found it better for all to deflect and calm him by involving him in a task or something. After months of this he was finally diagnosed with dementia so there may be a blurring of lines here for me.

I think keep an open mind and try some different techniques to see what helps her.

Hello, I couldn't read and run. My mum had delerium caused by being on a ventilator in intensive care. She had pneumonia and sepsis and nearly died many times. When she came off the ventilator she had severe delerium. It was so upsetting. We were told to calmly tell her the reality over and over, that she was safe and that her brain was making her see and think strange things but we were there and she was safe. She did eventually come out of it after a few months. I hope the same happens for your mum. Sending love as it’s very distressing x

My dad had it with a UTI.

he wasn’t capable of recognising reality so we said what we needed to to keep him calm.

mostly he was worried he’d lost his hearing aids so we kept reassuring him.

@nabanna

perhaps some insight that could help you all?

thanks all really appreciated replies and experience of others.. It is difficult as I am going along with her keeping her cam and DSis keeps telling her she is wrong...
As other have said some of her stories are vv funny, but at the same time she is scared.
Looks like she might be settling, but suspect I will spend night next to her.
thanks again

thanks really interesting shared with DSis who is reading it now, and saying she may need to change her approach

Just to add @nabanna

Please do ask if your Mum is being medicated, without your knowledge, could be exacerbating her confusion.

We only found out, that the hospital administered medication, through the discharge papers, for my relative!

Could she have Charles Bonnet syndrome ?

Just wondering because she “sees” people and animals which are common images in persons who are visually impaired. They often see people who are no longer alive and geometric patterns. However I don’t know whether this would suddenly start if she has been blind for a few years.

Im a geriatric nurse and echoing previous poster I was also going to ask if Charles Barnett syndrome had been considered as also presents very much like this in the visually impaired and is very distressing for them

we had i finally thought of. Charles Bonnet (our dad who also had sight issues). She was also off her legs, so infection we think.
She had improved by the weekend but today far worse and not tolerating antibiotics, being sick and not eating.
I am sleeping in the floor by her bed as I am really scared and she is really agitated, figeting and not sleeping at all tonight (and so I am not either).

Hope you both get some rest, OP