My mother sees things that aren't there- any advice?

4 September 2020

Anonymous asks:

I have a 90 year mom and I'm so worried about her. She is seeing things that are not there. What do I do?

Jessica Leoni, sex and relationship expert, said: “You mum is 90 so you have every reason to be worried about her for all manner of reasons - not least the threat to her life that Covid poses. It obviously is a severe danger to anyone of her age so please be super careful about social distancing.

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“However, your letter appears to highlight another concern. It is difficult to be too precise because you have provided me with such scant details. You say that you worried about her ‘seeing things that are not there’ which suggests that she is showing some signs of confusion - perfectly understandable in a woman in her 90s. The best thing you can do is book her an appointment with her GP. She can be examined properly and you can get some expert medical advice on what is troubling you and her.

“It could be just the normal mental slowing that happens to most people as they get into their 90s, or a recent change in your mother’s awareness could be an early sign of something more pressing. I am not in a position to judge and neither are you. Leave it to the experts and book an appointment with her GP as soon as you can. Assuming she is happy for you to join her, I would sit in on the appointment with the GP so you can both properly get to the bottom of what is at issue.”