Does anyone else deal with their loved one yelling at the tv and thinking the people are real?
My mother insists on watching the same shows over and over again. It used to be Shirley Temple movies - now it is the TV series Full House. she believes that the people can see her and hear her. She interacts with them all day while watching. I would be fine with that, but her anger at the characters escalates and escalates. She screams at them, threatens to punch them in the face, and sometimes gets up and goes to the tv and punches it! If I try to interact with her when she is watching, or if I shut the tv off, or put a different show on, she will turn that anger on me and scream at me. So far she hasn't hit me but she has raised her hand to me and then changed her mind and touched my face instead of striking it. She is a small woman and I am not afraid of her, but this constant anger and screaming is seriously taking a tole on me and I KNOW it isn't good for her. She calls the tv show "my people" and wants to be watching it from the minute she gets up until she goes to bed. I have been limiting her to a few hours at a time but it is a battle pretty much every time to get her to move to a different show or activity. Even when I try to play games with her she wants the show playing and pays more attention to it than the activity
I think I would absolutely discuss it with her doctor. He needs to know about the delusions and outbursts. This must be very painful for her. I'd see what the doctor says about getting some medication to help her. It can't be good to be so out of control and anxious everyday. The good thing is that often people with dementia go through phases and this phase of Full House may pass. But, until it does, I'd get help.
Unfortunately I live in a very rural area with no options for television or cable so we are limited to DVDs and VHS.
I have TONS of series and movies that I have acquired in the 2 years that she lived here - but just like she always wants to wear the same clothes, eat the same foods, and do the same routine, she also locks onto one show and wants to watch it exclusively. The more she watches it - the worse the problem gets. She remembers things enough to feel that the people are doing the same things again and again and gets frustrated that they won't listen to her and stop doing the same things. She can't comprehend that they did it once but she watched it a thousand times.
For example a couple of minutes ago she was going off because one of the children "keep pulling their front teeth out to get money from the tooth fairy".
Also other things bother her like if she is watching during the evening and the father is sending the kids to school. She gets angry with the father for making the kids go to school at night.
When I shut her show off and put another one on for her it is not AS bad....but it still happens. If I allow her to watch that other show too much - it escalates with that show.
Her dr just left the practice and I am waiting on an appointment to get in with a new dr so we are kind of in between at the moment but I did speak with her first dr about it in the past and he was not of any help. I also have a contact at the Alz. Assoc and she knows how mom is with the TV shows but she wasn't really able to give me any advice that was much help either.
The only thing that seemed to help with my cousin was getting her away from the object that set her off. After she got away from her cat, she stopped obsessing about it. She used to love tv, but she progressed to have no interest in it at all. However, until that happens, I would implore the doctors to treat her for whatever they think it is. I'm no expert, but if they think she has anxiety, OCD, depression, delusions, etc. there should be a way to treat it. Many dementia patients have suffer with mental anguish in some form or another. If the doctor is not able to help her, then I would try to find another one ASAP. Hopefully, they will help give her relief so she can get some peace and so you can get some peace too.
Who diagnosed your mom with dementia?
If there are any Memory Care facilities, nursing homes, in your area, I might call and see what doctors they may use. Certainly, there are doctors in the area who understand and treat dementia patients.
Mom was diagnosed with dementia by her primary care dr - which is the one that just left the practice.
The new dr. that I am waiting on my appointment with, was referred to me by my contact at the Alz. Association. Dr.. Wolff is also a primary care dr but he specializes in geriatrics, dementia and Alzheimers, so hopefully he will be able to help.
Unfortunately there was a 6 month waiting period for new patients, but by using the referral from the Alz. Assoc and explaining that we are currently without a dr., I was able to get her an appointment that was only 1 month away.....now 2 more weeks and then we go.
They help with some of the symptoms and behaviors but they haven't stopped the TV problem.
Just walking her to the car to take her for an appointment (a bit of a walk to the car from the house) she has melt downs along the way about everything that upsets her about outdoors.
Inside, every spot of lint is a bug so she also has meltdowns inside.....but not quite as bad as outside.
I do have her help with folding laundry and other easy tasks - like tearing bread up to put out for the birds - but it is really hard to fill 24 hours a day/7 days a week with activity. I work from home....so I am back and forth between tending her and trying to get some work done. I wish I could find activities she would do on her own - but unfortunately my mother NEVER had hobbies......she was pretty much always a couch potato TV aholic.
She had to sit real close to the small screen... too bad!
It helped with this situation alot.
My cousin's preoccupation with things on the tv didn't last long. She eventually grew disinterested in the things on the tv as she was not able to follow what was going on. I'm sure that happens at different rates depending on the individual.
This kind of behavior can be extremely taxing on the caregiver's mental state. I'd try to get some respite time and seek outside help to assist you. While the behavior with the tv may be challenging, the dementia will likely bring more challenges down the road, but in different ways, such as constantly repeating things, hostility, incontinence, mobility problems, eating issues, etc.