Mom is seeing family members who have died and also family members still alive in her house, she is fully coherent and talks about seeing them. Last night when I went she was stroking a dog that wasn’t there. She doesn’t know what time of day it is and keeps forgetting what day it is.
All her vital signs have been checked, they are fine. She does suffer from stress and anxiety and has gone off her food. Can anyone shed some light on this as a family we are concerned as she lives alone and is very stubborn.
Let us know how it goes. Best wishes to you and your family.
Talking to dead people is not that unusual for the elderly with dementia.
I'm a little confused that you say she is fully coherent? Maybe I interpret that differently than you mean it but a person with dementia, talking to dead people, not oriented to day and time, well, that doesn't seem like fully coherent to me. Which is why I agree with the above posters that she needs a high level of care.
It's probably not unusual for vitals to be fine when the mind is not so fine.
Good luck with this tough situation.
I'd have to fully agree with Again in questioning your definition of 'coherent' when your mom is talking about seeing dead people, stroking a dog that isn't there, and is not oriented to day and time. She is hallucinating, more than likely, rather than being coherent! She likely believes 100% in what she's seeing, but that doesn't make it reality.....just HER version of reality these days!
She needs to see a doctor right away, in any event!
What does 'gone off her food' mean, exactly? Is she not eating? Or not eating food she normally eats?
Wishing you the best of luck in getting your mom to the doctor who can shed more light on her condition, hopefully!