Shared from dailycaring.com.
False accusations can be tough to handle
People with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia might accuse those closest to them of terrible things or believe that other bad things are happening.
There are some cases of true abuse, but many of these false accusations and beliefs are caused by dementia delusions – firmly held beliefs that aren’t real.
Regardless of the cause, it’s difficult to hear your older adult accuse you of terrible things or to watch them be overwhelmed with fear or anxiety.
Do your best to be patient with them and remind yourself that dementia is causing their brain to play tricks on them.
They’re not saying hurtful things on purpose and they’re not being overly dramatic or lying – it’s all very real to them.
We explain why using logic and reason doesn’t work when someone believes in a delusion and share ideas for responding to 4 top dementia delusions: being abused, you’re a stranger, someone’s after me, and there are bugs everywhere.