Learning What Parkinson’s Disease Hallucinations And Delusions Are In Grand Forks, ND

If you or a loved one was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), you’re most likely aware that it is a central nervous system disorder that primarily affects seniors age 60 and over. You are probably also aware of the many motor symptoms associated with PD, but how familiar are you with the non motor symptoms?

There are a variety of non motor symptoms that you or your loved one may experience, such as sweating and body aches, vision problems and dizziness, or hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations and delusions can be particularly difficult to manage and can cause much unnecessary stress for you or your loved one with PD.  

Did you know that it is estimated that around 50% of people with PD will experience hallucinations or delusions?

Why Might People With Parkinson’s Experience Hallucinations And Delusions?

While it is true that there are currently no reliable ways to predict which people with PD will experience hallucinations or delusions, there are theories. One theory states that the hallucinations or delusions may be a side effect of certain dopamine therapies, while another suggests that they may simply be a natural progression of the disease. Risk factors can include:

• Certain medications that increase dopamine levels 
• Duration and severity of Parkinson’s 
• Getting older

Healthcare providers may refer to these hallucinations or delusions as Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis, or PDP.

Are There Signs To Watch For?

Let’s look at some of the signs that you can keep an eye out for in order to help determine if your loved one with PD is experiencing hallucinations or delusions.

Signs that a loved one may be experiencing hallucinations can include seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, or feeling things that are not really there. 

Signs that a loved one may be experiencing delusions can include:

• Thinking someone is trying to steal from, harm, or deceive them
• Believing their loved one is being unfaithful
• Thinking a TV show or song is talking directly to them

Hallucinations and delusions often increase in severity as time goes on and cause people with PD to feel anxious or stressed, making it incredibly important to be aware of any signs that your loved one may be experiencing them. 

If you believe your loved one is experiencing hallucinations or delusions, please be sure to contact their PD specialist right away.

In Home Care That Makes A Difference

Whether you are young or old, there will be times in your life that you will need to ask for help and that’s perfectly okay! In fact, that’s what your friendly, local Comfort Keepers® is here for. Each of our expertly trained caregivers can provide assistance with difficult tasks for people with PD, as well as so much more.

What does that mean, you ask? It means each of our caregivers is specially trained in our unique home care philosophy called Interactive Caregiving™. This is the idea that seniors are able to live their happiest and healthiest lives when they are supported mentally, physically, and socially. At Comfort Keepers®, we encourage seniors to work with their caregivers to create exciting activities, meal plans, and exercise routines, along with so much more, to help them feel fulfilled. 

This can mean anything from checking out new books or joining a book club at the library to attending exercise classes—swimming is always good for sore joints—at the local senior center to simply spending time sharing their wisdom with cherished family members and friends. Our goal is always to provide your loved one with enough support to be safe and secure in their own home without making them feel as though they have lost their independence or dignity. We’d love to help make your loved one’s golden years shine brighter. 

If you’d like to learn more about Parkinson’s disease in home care services, how our compassionate caregivers can assist your family, or if you’d like to schedule your free in-home consultation, please contact us online at any time or call us at (701) 738-0006.

Resources For People With Parkinson’s Disease

• National Parkinson’s Foundation: improves the lives of people with Parkinson’s by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. They build on the energy, experience, and passion of their global Parkinson’s community.
• American Parkinson’s Disease Association (APDA): The American Parkinson’s Disease Association is the largest grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson’s disease and works tirelessly to help the approximately one million people with Parkinson’s live life to the fullest.
• The Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson’s Research: The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today.
• Davis Phinney Foundation For Parkinson’s: This foundation provides essential information, practical tools, and inspiration to people living with Parkinson’s and funds early-phase, innovative research that focuses on exercise, speech, movement, and other factors that affect quality of life. Their goal is to help people with Parkinson’s live well today.