Dad's paranoid hallucinations are escalating rapidly. What does this mean? They hospitalized him tonight. Anyone gone through this?

Being there wouldn’t accomplish anything but exhaustion and frazzled nerves for you. Sit tight, let sister handle it, and consider alternative plans for him. Based on your post, he isn’t a healthy 92 any more. That’s going to require a turnaround in your thinking, so you need this time to reflect, regroup and look after yourself before the spit hits the fan. Good luck to all of you.

Mare sure they test for a UTI. They can be the cause of a sudden mental status change.

There are medications that may help Dad with hallucinations. Its part of the Dementia. He may not be able to remain at the AL. He may need more care than the AL can provide. Usually, with Dementia, they go to Memory Care or Longterm care depending on how much money Dad has.

My mother was in a facility for a couple weeks after being hospitalized and becoming non ambulatory. She had only mild cognitive dysfunction, but was not happy about being there and doing a lot of OT and PT. She was having very vivid dreams/hallucinations during this period. I found out that they give many of their patients (including my mother) the drug Ativan to make them more compliant. As soon as she left the facility, and thus stopped the ativan, she returned to normal mentation for her.

Yes, mother had vascular dementia and as it progressed she developed hallucinations from telling me I had put chicken in her freezer and "I'll get you for that to thinking the aides were trying to poison her thinking she had been taken somewhere for surgery and had her insides taken out. I lived 5 -6 hours drive away. She was taken to a geriatric psychiatric hospital and thoroughly evaluated and eventually put on Risperdal, an antipsychotic, which helped her enormously, Then she was placed in a facility specializing in geriatric mental health issues.

It's nothing for you to feel guilty about. You didn't cause this disease. He is not a healthy 92 year old. He is exhibiting symptoms of a serious disease. He may function well physically for his age but he is not healthy. Mother was the same. Even up to age 100 she got around very well but the dementia eventually took her mobility and then her life at age 106.

In terms of being there for him - do what you reasonably can. Don't wear yourself out with worry or trips. It doesn't help anyone. You are fortunate your sister is there to be with him.

I am sorry you lost your mum and your dad is so ill. (((((Hugs))) I know this is very difficult. BTDT.

At this point you will have no meaningful conversations with him until he gets treated. If he has dementia, there are some who behave like him. It might be the blackout stage. You cannot yet help him.Give some time and let doctors figure what medications He needs to settle before visiting.

Yes, they escalate for a time, then diminish as dementia progresses. My mom was beyond bad for 6-8 months. A calming med should help.

My dad had a raging UTI , blood clots , at the hospital talked about where they were making him fried chicken in the building next door. My mom and aunt leaving him naked to hold onto a pole in a tornado, did not recognize me… my dr said this was not uncommon. It straightened out with treatment for his illness…

in the other hand my mom who had senility of the brain ( catch all diagnosis??? ) started having hallucinations, that escalated to a murder across the street etc.. the NP gave her medications to intervene

A black out stage is similar to blacking out from alcohol except this is a mental health issue. Another example comes from the peak of a manic episode from bipolar disease. The person will have no knowlege of the behavior.

I totally agree; the drug Ativan caused hallucinations and strange dreams for my Mom. We discontinued the drug and she was fine. A UTI also caused hallucinations for her.
Best wishes.