What clears my mother's mind from false ideas or delusions?

My father accused my brother of stealing from him for years before he was diagnosed with advanced frontal lobe dementia. He would scream at my mother that my brother had been there and had stolen a rake or a shovel or some other ridiculous thing. As much as my mother (or other siblings) would try to explain that nothing had been stolen, he woul become more enraged. When he was finally diagnosed, he was put on Depakote and Seroquel and his behavior changed almost overnight. He was no longer paranoid and my brother was able to come over to my parents' house once again to visit. His memory did not improve but at least he wasnot "raging" all the time.

My Stepmom does this same thing. She refuses to be seen by a doctor as they can't help her anyway, she says. She gets on a pity party and justs wants her life to end. I think she has enough moments of clarity to know she isn't acting normally. Threats to "go sit on the freeway","to go dig a hole just big enough for me", and "driving somewhere and never coming back" are repeated many times a day. I have found the best way to address this and stop the endless tirade, is to joke with her or distract her. For instance, when she mentioned digging the hole just big enough for her I said "Oh no!..."(she was just waiting to argue with me) but I continued, "It needs to be big enough to include the statue of the deer family your father carved. You wanted to take it with you, remember?" She looked at me fondly and broke up laughing, then she resumed eating her lunch that she had forgotten about and walked away from twice before. Good luck, this is such a struggle and finding inventive ways to deal with the highs and lows are a real challenge. This forum sure helps!

I agree with all the above, plus dehydration will cause confusion.

Sounds like your mom could have either dementia, be depressed, or delirious. Sometimes a physical problem, for example a bladder infection, can cause the symptoms you describe. I agree with the other answers---she needs to be evaluated by a gerontologist as soon as possible. Let's pray it is something easily treatable.

Your mom needs to be seen by a gerontologist so she can be evaluated as to which type of dementia she has and where she is within the dementia scale for it. You know how you take your kids to see a pediatrician - well taking your elder to a gerontologist who is MD specialist for old folks - is the same thing for the elderly. There are medications - Aricept, Exelon - that can slow down the disease but there
is no cure as dementia is a terminal disease. There are different dementia's, it is not all Alzheimers, there is also Lewy Body Dementia (which my mom has) and vascular dementia. The medication for one isn't the best for another so having her properly diagnosed will make a difference.

Most medical schools have an affliated Geronotology Department and because they are within a medical school they take Medicare & Medicaid. See if you can get your mom seen at that type of practice as it will be the most comprehensive care she can get. You may have to call and be persistent in having her seen as they will likely be booked out for months. Call and call again as people cancel or pass away. Good luck.

sound like dementia which is what my mom has, there is meds such as aricept, which is what my mom is on, it can slow the disease but not stop it and there is no cure, I wish there was, other than medication, just be loving and caring, try to keep her doing anything she loves, will keep you in my prayers

Has your mom been diagnosed with dementia? These behaviors are very common in that disease. There are meds that can treat the various symptoms of dementia (although nothing yet to cure it), and the first step would be to have your mother evaluated.