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How Do You Handle A Loved One Who Constantly Makes Up Elaborate Stories?

A myALZteam Member asked a question πŸ’­
Winter Springs, FL
5 days ago
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A myALZteam Member

It's probably Confabulation: because the Hippocampus is damaged, the mind is essentially "filling in the blanks" of missing information with something plausible (to him, anyway). In most cases, it's not a big deal; but it's good to let family and friends know what Confabulation is. And when it has come up in situations where accuracy of information matters, what I've done is quietly let people know what Confabulation is, and that the inaccuracies are not intentional, and provided the correct responses.

These two articles may be helpful:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/responding-to-co...
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/confa...

How to Respond to Confabulation in Dementia
How to Respond to Confabulation in Dementia
Confabulation in dementia: Causes and signs
Confabulation in dementia: Causes and signs
5 days ago
A myALZteam Member

Awww, @A myALZteam Member, I'm sorry. The hallucinations can be very tough.

16 hours ago
A myALZteam Member

@A myALZteam Member: With confabulation, the patient is "filling in the blanks" in their memory, with something else that's in their memory, and which is plausible. It frequently occurs when they're asked a question. The response is incorrect, but sounds like it could be right, and the patient isn't trying to give a wrong answer.

With a hallucination, the patient is "seeing" something that isn't there, or "hearing" something that isn't there.

1 day ago (edited)
A myALZteam Member

My husband experiences both and has for at least 5 years.

22 hours ago
A myALZteam Member

How does confabulation differ from hallucinations?

1 day ago

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