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New member challenged by delusions

MsLadybug
MsLadybug Member Posts: 1 Member
Hi everyone - just signed up here. 72 y.o. husband has moderate dementia, not Alzheimer’s, but due to changes from acquired brain injury from adolescent-onset hydrocephalus. He has a long history of persecutory delusions - there has often been an individual in his life that he believes intends to harm him. Those mostly have not interfered with his functioning. But in the past ~year he has developed a fixed delusion that someone is tampering with his Depends, so he refuses to wear most of them. (He has neurogenic bladder and episodic bowel incontinence). He takes them out of the package, unfolds them, deems them defective "because they don't make the noise they used to make - they are changed", and then he stashes them in several places in his room. He does eventually independently get dressed in a pair of Depends, so on some level this delusion is harmless. However, I frequently have to cajole him into putting on a pair that he thinks is defective. I understand that by definition, reason does not affect delusions. But I can't buy a dozen packages of Depends, so that he can choose one or two pairs that pass muster, while discarding the rest. I know arguing is not the way to deal with this, but unfortunately I have tried to convince him that there is nothing wrong with his Depends, to no avail. I suspect he may think a perpetrator is coming into his room and tampering with his Depends. I don't think he thinks it's me, but IDK. (He and I live alone together). Anyway, this is driving me nuts, I am open to suggestions about how to handle this. Also, just this morning out of the blue, he accused me of tearing up some old letters of his. He's never mistreated me in any way, he is very loving and kind, and I am not afraid of him, but I have heard that sometimes delusional people begin to seek to harm their spouses, so I have a small general concern about my own safety. In general, at what point do delusions become the reason why caregivers place their spouses in memory care? Any and all feedback is welcome, thank you in advance for your kindness.
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  • easy23
    easy23 Member Posts: 379
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Likes 100 Care Reactions 100 Comments
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    I placed my husband in MC once the delusions led to safety problems. He started telling me I had to leave the house because I didn't live there - he even called the police on me. He also started wandering because he thought that he had to go to work, home, or look for a long gone relative. Sorry to say that once the delusions started they never stopped. At least now I can say goodbye after a visit and know he's in a safe place.

  • annie51
    annie51 Member Posts: 645
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    Welcome to the forum! Sorry you have to be here but it is the greatest lifeline I had while dealing with my husband’s dementia. My DH’s delusions were not as serious as you described, but he did become very aggressive to the point I was afraid for my safety and that prompted me to place him in MC. It was hard, I felt guilty, I questioned my decision constantly- but it was the right decision. When your loved one or you are in an unsafe condition, that’s a trigger to look at placement.

    About your problem with the depends, maybe you could secretly collect the discarded ones and present some to him saying something like, “I had these checked for you to make sure that they were fixed”. Just acknowledging his delusion and providing a solution to satisfy it might work.

  • BPS
    BPS Member Posts: 487
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    Member

    My wife has had delusions of me cheating on her for over 3 1/2 years. That is one of the reasons I first started looking at MC 2 years ago. She was always mad at me and I thought the change might help since it seemed like if I was out of sight it was out of her mind. It did for a while then they started again but with different people. She was prescribed and takes medication to help control them and the anxiety they cause her but they are still there. She is now on hospice. The delusions have very recently gotten worse. The hospice nurse is working on it. Medication seems to help but not totally eliminate.

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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