AboutMargot RN BScN CGN Expertise I nursed my own Mother and Grandmother at home when they were dying so I have personal experience with the emotions involved. I have also spent the last 15+ years as a Registered Nurse caring for The Elderly and Terminally Ill and it has brought me great satisfaction. I am willing to answer any questions I can.
Experience
Past/Present clients Hundreds of Long Term Care Residents as well as hundreds of Cleitns and families in the community (including my Mother and Grandmother).
Question I am caring for my grandfather who is terminally ill. the last week has been a bad one and i feel he will not recover from the state he is in at them moment. He keeps saying he can hear people calling him and that he is watching the tv when in fact he is staring at a wall. He says he can hear chinese people continuously calling his surname and a woman gently speaking to him but he cant quite hear what she is trying to say. He had no signs of dementure last week or before he became ill with lung cancer. He is eighty and i know it is only a matter of time but i love him...he is my grandad. Are these voices normal when someone is close to the end of their life and should i agree with what he is saying or tell him that he is hallucinating. I don't want him to think that i don't believe him. Thanks for taking the time to read this
Kind Regards
Answer Hi Kylie and thanks for writing,
I am sorry to read about your Grandfather's illness, he is lucky to have you there with him. Delusions are not uncommon with people who are close to passing, and there can be several causes. The person may seem to be confused about the time, place, and identity of people surrounding him or including close and familiar people; this is due in part to the metabolism changes.
Identify yourself by name before you speak rather than to ask the person to guess who you are. Speak softly, clearly, and truthfully when you need to communicate something important for the patient's comfort, such as, It is time to take your medication, and explain the reason for the communication, such as, so you won't begin to hurt. Do not use this method to try to manipulate the patient to meet your needs.
The person may speak or claim to have spoken to persons who have already died, or to see or have seen places not presently accessible or visible to you. This does not indicate an hallucination or a drug reaction. Do not contradict, explain away, belittle or argue about what the person claims to have seen or heard. Just because you cannot see or hear it does not mean it is not real to your loved one. Affirm his or her experience; they are normal and common. If they frighten your loved one, explain that they are normal occurrences.
Wishing you all the best during this difficult time,
Margot
