January 4, 2026
The Day My Mother Saw Mice Crawling on Her Favorite Blanket
A Calm Afternoon Interrupted
It was a calm afternoon — one of those rare moments where everything seemed quiet. Then my mother screamed. 'Mice! Get them off me!' She was pointing at her favorite grey polka-dot blanket, convinced it was crawling with mice.
Understanding Visual Hallucinations in Dementia
Pareidolia — the brain's tendency to misinterpret patterns as living things — is common in Parkinson's and Lewy body dementia. The polka dots on the blanket became mice in her perception.
What I Did Instead
I removed the blanket quietly. She calmed down immediately. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best one.
What This Taught Me About Dementia Hallucinations
Remove the trigger. Validate over logic. Control the environment. These three principles have guided me through countless episodes.