Last night I was suddenly awakened by my father’s plaintive cries for help. Quickly I ran to his aid when I heard him shout "STOP. You're under arrest". Momentarily stunned, I paused and cautiously peered around the corner not knowing what to expect. Seeing no one but my father lying in bed, I asked him what was wrong. Excitedly he told me that “there's hobos in the house, there's hobos in the house”! I didn’t call 911 or even search the premises further. It’s not that hobos in the house should be so easily dismissed, but my Dad suffers from dementia and occasionally has both audio and visual hallucinations.

In the decade of the 60’s my father, like most men of his generation, was very strict, very conservative and very anti-drug, while as a teenager I spent most of my time rebelling against his values, dropping out of high school and later squandering my limited funds on drugs, including hallucinogens. At 18 my diminutive world came tumbling down when I was arrested and jailed for possession of LSD. Now, 40 years later, Dad is imprisoned by his dementia and his titan universe has been shattered. Ironically, our roles have been reversed. Now I’m the parent and he's the child. I’m now the anti-drug champion and he is the one hallucinating marauding hobos in the house.

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but she was interrupting my conversation with Leonardo DeVinci.

about his art or his science? Now there's a man that lived before his time. Fascinating guy. They had an exhibit in the museum in Victoria a couple of years ago that I would have loved to go to. I remember having a book of his paper airplanes when I was teaching-the kids loved when I let them build and fly them.
Just watching/listening to Peter, Paul and Mary-a special on PBS out of Seattle Wash. 45 years they have been singing together-still doing over 30 concerts a year.

Oh my, I actually saw the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Starship in Golden Gate Park for free. I will not comment on the state of my mind. Does any one else ever suspect we were in "training"? CG on duty just called to say Mom was talking to Aunt Wanda (folks, Mom is 94 and Aunt Wanda raised her) I couldn't tell the CG, but she was interrupting my conversation with Leonardo DeVinci. I know exactly where Mom is coming from. OUCH.

Jimi Hendrix.
There was more than just a "Purple Haze" in the auditorium!

HOBOS!!!! GOTTA LOVE IT!!! I haven't heard anyone talk about hobos since 1960!!!

Mom hallucinated a sparkly angel once - she had such a good time talking with the angel and telling her stories, I just let 'er rip. About dawn, she began singing "Oh Tannenbaum" to the angel... in German (which she took in high school...).

Sometimes, she would "see things" because of "sundowning" and how different things look at night - shadows, reflections, etc. The hobos MIGHT have been your dad's shadow or a reflection in the television screen, etc. Mom lost her comprehension of reflections completely - would ask what "that light" was and after getting right down at eyeball level with her, I would finally realize she was talking about a reflection from her tv or window or something... I'd explain the phenom to her, she'd nod and understand and one minute later ask me what "that light" was all over again...
Lotta teflon moments...

You must have had better connections than I did in the 60s... never saw any angels OR hobos on acid... but I did see Richie Havens, Pink Floyd & Led Zeppelin in an...ummmmm.... ALTERED state of consciousness... but they brought their own fireworks and stuff.

Yep, ironic how they were straight and we were the drugheads back then and now we're anti-pharma and they take stronger stuff than I ever thought of buying on the street back in the day...

Hello Micheal, welcome to ECO. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this post, but I am glad to meet you. I, also was the rebel child and am now the care giver.

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So, are you thinking the same thing I am? "How could I have wasted all that money back then - if I had only known hallucinations might come naturally, I could have waited!"

LOL MW ,,Maybe I didn't go quite so far or pay as high a price as our new friend, but I can identify, too.

Micheal, I hope you will introduce yourself in our New Care Giver's Meeting Room. Tell us a bit about your self and your Dad. (Nothing incriminating, of course). Sounds like a three ring circus going on over there.

I do know of a person who keeps a fly swatter handy to soothe her Mom's concerns about a bug in the room and it works so consider MERRWID's suggestion if it happens again. But if this is a new behavior, I hope you will report it to his doc. I really doubt he thinks it is fun to see invaders, hobo or otherwise, in his room.

Sometimes this can be a warning sign of an infection or a need to tweak his meds one way or the other.

Again, Welcome to ECO. Good to meet you.

Hi Michael, welcome in!
Hobos in the house? It's actually kind of catchy - you could be our new Dr. Seuss.
Although my parents were not as strict as yours sound and I didn't do an awful lot of rebelling,
I did do my share of things I shouldn't have.
Later on in my life, my dad's mom developed dementia, my husband suffered with it, and I'm beginning to worry about my dad. So, are you thinking the same thing I am? "How could I have wasted all that money back then - if I had only known hallucinations might come naturally, I could have waited!"
Anyway, I'm sure more folks will find your post and responding soon. We're glad to have you.
Next time Dad starts in about the hobos, rush in with a rolled up newspaper and start swatting them out of the house!