Most nights my mom will hallucinate about dead people and I can calm her down saying that they are just hanging out. But the problem begins when she sees a giant "rat" & "kills" it with her cane. Then she won't give up on finding the carcass. She will go crazy trying to find it & wants me to go under the bed & crawl on the floor until it is found. Of course, I won't find anything so it's never ending. Almost wish I had a rat in the house! Yuck!
I'm so sorry for you and your mom and everyone dealing with dementia. My dad has it to a lesser extent. His is vascular and stroke related. He's 89 and lives with us. It's a heart breaker.
I heard a caregiver tell about her husband's insistence that there was a fish hook caught in the blanket and it was driving him nuts. She said she'd get a pliers and be right back. She slipped a fishhook into her hand while she was gone, and whaddya know? she was able to pull a fishhook out of that blanket! Hubby went back to sleep and didn't remember the incident in the morning.
If the rat hallucination is a recurring theme, I think I'd invest in a halloween rat!
Why do they never see sweet little kittens or something non-threatening?
My husband takes Klonopin, which can be very effective in treating sleep disorders. It is not a sleep aid in the traditional sense of helping someone fall asleep. Hubby takes it for a sleep disorder called RBD (very common in Lewy Body Dementia). It is effective in 90% of RBD cases -- but that still leaves 10% of those patients unhelped by it. Maybe it is not effective for you mother because she is not taking the right dose (Hubby takes 4x what she is taking), or because she doesn't really have one of the conditions it is applicable to, or she is just in the exception category. You can see what I mean about the trial-and-error thing. Should the doctor try increasing the dose or just drop it? It pays to have an experienced and patient doctor!
I've heard good things (and a few bad things) about the Excelon patch. My husband is on seroquel, which does require an experienced doctor, careful and slow titration, and careful monitoring, but it has been very helpful for us for about 8 years. I can't emphasize enough the value of a doctor experienced with dementia issues.
My point is, don't give up on the possibility of some relief via drugs, but it may take trying several.
Meanwhile, about the rat. What if you did have a rat? For Halloween parties my friend has a very realistic rubber rat she got at a theatrical costume place. Ugh! But if it would help ... As Christina says, this might just reenforce her obsession with rats, so this is trial-and-error, too, but in your place I would be willing to try it. Getting that rat carcass out of the house might give your mother peace.
Good luck! If something seems to work, come back and let us know. We learn from each other.
Is that your dog? Cute Beagle. I don't have a dog, but beagle would be my choice if I got one. My cat would be indignant, however. Just like a cat.
I will pray for your Mom:) Hugs, Christina xo