hallucinations
They see or hear things that are not there.
4 min read
What they see is genuinely real to them, so denying it starts an argument you cannot win. Respond to how it makes them feel, not to whether it is true. Frightening hallucinations need reassurance and a change of scene; harmless ones can often simply be left alone.
What to try
- 1Ask how they feel about it rather than whether it is real: "Is that worrying you?"
- 2Reassure and stay close: "I am here, you are safe."
- 3Change the room, the light or the activity — a shift in surroundings often ends it.
- 4Improve the lighting and reduce shadows, reflections and patterned surfaces. A dim, busy room is harder for anyone to read.
- 5Check their glasses are clean and on, and that their hearing aids are in and working.
What to avoid
- Arguing that nothing is there, or demanding they look again.
- Pretending to see it in elaborate detail, which can make it more vivid.
- Leaving them alone while they are frightened.
Not all of it is hallucination
Much of what gets reported is misperception rather than hallucination — a coat on a door read as a person, a reflection read as an intruder, a patterned carpet read as water. Those have physical fixes: better light, plainer surfaces, curtains closed at night, mirrors covered if they cause distress.
How this guide was made
Written by
Written independently for Riparo. It is not copied or adapted from any organisation’s material.
Evidence checked
Every key point here has been checked against published national dementia guidance.
Reviewed by
Not clinically reviewed. No clinician has checked this guide.