Expert: Mary Gordon - 10/12/2006

Question
dear mary,
I am a facing a different problem.I am staying in a house which is haunted.All of us used to see certain things.few months months back we sprinkled holy water inthe house and every thing has stopped.My mom still claims to see various things . every day she has a new story to tell.moreever she confuses in time.she confuses in what happened yesterday morn or afternoon.Otherwise she is friendly and looks after my accounts well. she also solves crosswords and sudoku.she is 65 years old. my father died 6 years back.she hasnot got over it.she is staying with me.is this ad .what should I do and whom should I contact.please help

Answer
Hi Mary, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I was away for the weekend and only got back late today.

Your mother should see a doctor. She may be developing one of the frontal lobe dementias, such as Lewy Body dementia, which can cause very vivid visual hallucinations.

First step is always the family doctor for a complete physical. The family doctor will then usually send the person to a specialist - usually a neurologist or psychiatrist with specialty in dementias.

Hope this helps. I know this is scary, but the sooner she is assessed by a doctor the better. There are many causes of mental confusion and delusions, and some are treatable. You will never forgive yourself if you find out  she had a health issue that was causing her problems and it could be fixed had she seen a doctor in time.

Mary