What is dementia? Can hallucinations and delusions, without loss of motor/language skills & attention, be indicative of dementia? or is that psychosis?
SITUATION:
My grandmother (age 85, on heavy meds) hallucinates — she claims that she sees people and animals that are not there. Just yesterday, she set off the house alarm by going outside, claiming that there were two people she had to feed (there was no one). She has also become very paranoid and unhappy; she will see my belongings and be truly convinced that it belongs to her. She also asserts that people are stealing from her or cheating her when that is not the case. However, all of her language, memory and motor skills still seem to be intact.
This has been ongoing for more than a year, but has been left undiagnosed.
QUESTIONS:
– Can this be considered a form of dementia?
– If so, is it worth asking for a professional opinion?
– Does dementia (or whatever this might be) have any genetic implications?
– Is this a progressive problem? or is it possible to only have 'slight dementia'?
Go see a professional. They would be able to give you better advice than random people like myself could give you.