How to Care for Elderly People With Charles Bonnets Syndrome

Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a rare condition in which people who have no underlying mental defects experience dramatic and detailed visual hallucinations. The afflicted individual is aware that the illusion is not real, and the mirages are experienced only visually. The majority of those diagnosed with CBS are elderly and have already been diagnosed with visual disorders or have suffered optic nerve damage.

Instructions

• 1

  Be certain the patient understands they are suffering from CBS and not a mental illness. Reassure to them that the hallucinations are temporary and will go away in time.

• 2

  Take the patient to an ophthalmologist if they have not recently been. According to the Royal National Institute for the Blind, of RNIB, Charles Bonnet Syndrome tends to manifest in itself in people who may be developing other types of visual impairments that are commonly associated with the aging process, such as macular degeneration. CBS is also associated with loss of peripheral vision as a result of glaucoma and optic nerve damage.

• 3

  Tell the patient to blink his eyes rapidly or close them for a few moments to halt the progression of a hallucination. Studies done by Oxford Univeristy suggest that blocking the input of visual stimulus can stop the visions, at least temporarily.

• 4

  Turn on the lights and open the drapes for the visions to disperse. The hallucinations associated with CBS are generally only visible in dim light or at night. Alternatively, turning on the television can bring about a similar positive result.

• 5

  Have the patient take a short nap. Hallucinations have a tendency to occur with greater frequency among those who are fatigued.

• 6

  Teach the patient a few relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or focusing on a specific object while thinking of a pleasant place. University of Queensland studies suggest that stress alone can bring about the visions.

• 7

  Ask the patient to describe what she is seeing. Remind him of your familiarity with the disorder and reassure them of the fact that you don't believe she has a mental defect. Interaction with another human being can help stop a hallucination.

• 8

  Take the afflicted outside, if the weather permits. Almost all CBS hallucinations take place within the patient's home. A breath of fresh air can help end the visual phantasm and the exercise can help to reduce any stress the patient may be feeling as a result.

• 9

  Encourage the patient to walk away from the vision. Physically moving to another location can cause the illusion to vanish as quickly as it appeared.