Gorillas inside? Lions outside in the trees? That's not dementia. That's hospital-induced delirium. Those folks were stuck in their rooms without family for too long. They were prisoners in that nursing home in a far worse state than dementia. Why would she let them continue to live in such terrifying delusions? Give them something familiar from their homes -- a favorite comforter, picture, artwork. Something that reminded them of home, since home in the last grounding on this earth someone with dementia has. Call their family and ask them to call or visit more often. People they know they may forget who they are, but deep inside they are familiar. Spend half an hour a day taking that peron outside their room. Let them see they aren't stuck with the same sterile four walls like a prisoner.
Of course there was something she could of done. But to let them believe they continue to live in that horror of a dream they think is real? That's horrible! Why wouldn't someone help them to get out of the thought their is a gorilla inside them or a furious cat stalking them?
My husband thought his room was swarming with mice and rats. Of course he would have been angry and confused to learn what he was seeing he wasn't seeing, but dang it! Better to get that jolt of not being able to trust your own senses than to continue watching and feeling the rodents descend on you. His nurse would have heard it from me, if she went along with that nightmare. And, if she didn't listen, she would have listened to the reprimand from the director.
That's not ethical. That's neglect!
Medically speaking Lewy body dementia causes hallucinations so there is a specific form of dementia which is associated with a hallucinations and it is nothing like delerium even in my short time on placements I can recognise the difference. Then there is psychosis again where you have hallucinations. Those with dementia hallucinating you are advised to redirrect not correct as correcting just causes distress. However you do not agree with the hallucination, so redirrection and distraction is the order of the day. If a person with Alzeihmers thinks their husband is still alive would I correct them no I would change the topic. If I tell them their husband has died it would be as if they had just heard that for the first time, so each time would be like the first time.