GRANDPA WITH DEMENTIA KEEPS SAYING HE CAN SEE GHOSTS THAT TAKE CARE OF HIM, FAMILY SPOOKED

My grandpa with dementia is saying he sees ghosts that take care of him

Recently over the past few days, my grandpa has been telling my family how he has been seeing these ghosts that are taking care of him and are helping him be calm and I don’t know what to think about it.

Over almost 2 years we found out he has dementia, it has been progressively getting worse as his eating habits go from not really eating, to eating like he is starving and straying away from hanging around with family and being alone. But the ghost situation has been very recent.

He’s one to joke around but seeing the expression on his face I could tell he wasn’t joking. I have no idea how to think about if his end is coming or if it’s a part of dementia that is doing this to him.

To anyone else who may have had a loved one with dementia has any of this happened to you? How should I go about it and what should i do?

Netizens’ comments

1. Just lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s. Was his caregiver for several years. He may be having hallucinations which is part of dementia
2. Of course I always thought when people’s time is almost up. they start straddling both sides and maybe he is about to pass away.
3. My great-grandmother had Alzheimer’s and would talk to her mother and sister at the end, like they were there with her, (but she was almost 90 and they were long gone.)
4. Does the staff dress in all white? Does he usually wear glasses but hasn’t been all the time lately? Is he on a medication that would make his eyesight fuzzy? Any of these along with his dementia could have him believe he is seeing ghosts. As long as he feels comforted by them then there is no reason to worry. Just let him know you’re glad he doesn’t feel alone when you and other family members can’t be with him.
5. Hi friend. I used to be a hospice nurse.
   People with dementia can have visions/hallucinations. However, if he has never had these before, I would let his doctor know. Sometimes hallucinations are associated with a new infection (usually urinary tract) or a new neurological change.