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Helping Children Understand Alzheimers Disease
What you're about to read is the result of ongoing interaction over years with several enthusiasts like you. They are also interested in this subject.
This article was written to answer some of their frequently asked questions and address common issues of interest. And like them, I hope you'll find this information helpful too.
Grandparents are often a child or teenager's favorite people. Grandparents indulge their grandchildren and listen to them. They have the patience to play Go Fish endlessly and they can tell a great story. But what happens when the grandparent starts becoming more of a child than their own grandchildren? How can you help your kids understand Alzheimer's and how to cope with the knowledge that grandma or grandpa will soon not know them or be able to take care of themselves? It is a hard process, but there are some things you can control and talk with your kids about.
One of the best ways for children to understand what having Alzheimer's means is role playing. Ask your child what they felt like at a time when they got lost - whether it was in a mall, grocery store or park. Did they feel scared and panic when they couldn't find a familiar face? By imagining that fear when being lost, children will understand one of the many things that Alzheimer's sufferers go through.
Blindfold your child and ask them to maneuver around your home or safe area. Ask them to go from point A to point B without seeing where they are going. Your child knows where they are but they get frustrated when they stumble into "roadblocks" along the way. Navigating is hard to figure out and confusion can result, causing your child to get turned around. Just when they are about to give up, remove the blindfold briefly so that they can see where they are, then put it back on. This exercise illustrates what their beloved grandparent suffering from Alzheimer's could be going through and it can be a real eye-opener for a child.
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Talk with your child and let them know that it is ok to be frustrated and sad when they visit with their grandparent. Tell them it is all right to feel helpless and even resentful because of the attention and time that might be diverted from them in caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's. What it is not ok to do is take it out on their grandparents.
Give them some ideas on what they can do to still interact with their grandparents, even though they might eventually forget their names or other things. Sharing their lives - school, friends and interests - can keep their grandparents engaged, even when they may not understand what is going on. The physical and social interaction helps immensely with Alzheimer's sufferers, so let your child know that.
Children can spend time outside with their grandparent picking flowers or enjoying the sunshine. They can read stories to them or play music. Children can dig out some favorite photo albums and relive some wonderful memories with their grandparent, pointing out people and places. They can engage their grandparent in an activity like crafts or even playing with play dough. Soon, children will understand that the activity doesn't matter so much as the interaction and love they can share with their grandparent afflicted with the disease.
That's it for now. You see, we've tried to compile the very best information on this topic - and put it into a form useful to anyone like you who is interested in the subject.
I'd really appreciate your feedback - please let me know what you think about it. It will help us create even more valuable content for you in the future.
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