Now You Know: How to make kids understand dementia at home

Dementia is a family matter.

Whenever an elder loved one suffers from dementia, it almost always creates a profound impact on the rest of the family. A lot of major changes happen at once in terms of the family’s routine, setup, and physical arrangements to ensure that utmost care is given and received by the elder in the family.

As all these changes make life a blur at home, children and teens may find it hard to adjust as well.

Watch the video below to find out more:

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, younger family users may react differently in everyday situations with an elder family user with dementia. This include:

• Sad about how the elder family user is changing;

• Curious about how people develop Alzheimer’s or dementia;

• Confused about why the elder loved one with dementia acts differently or doesn’t recognize him or her;

• Frustrated by the new things it’s necessary to do, like repeating words or phrases;

• Guilty for resenting the time and resources the person requires of the family;

• Afraid of how the elder loved one with dementia may behave;

• Jealous of the additional time and attention given to elder family user with dementia;

• Worried that he or she — or other friends and family users — might also develop the same condition;

• Embarrassed to have visitors if the person is home;

• Unsure how to behave around elder family user with dementia.

Younger family users are naturally curious and inquisitive, so it’s best to help them get through this situation by being open to them about dementia.

Here are some things you can do:

Be open to answering questions.

Kids may find it confusing why grandma or grandpa often forget their names even if your entire family pays them a visit every weekend. Make sure that they understand what their grandparent is going through by explaining them all about the situation, bit by bit.

You may start telling them about how, as people grow old, their brain functions also age and eventually start declining. Try and explain the situation in a creative manner that they can easily understand.

“You can compare the brain to a bookshelf with books of early memories at the bottom and newer ones at the top. Books of memories, skills, and facts are constantly being added,” writes a feature from the Winchester Hospital. “Dementia is like a storm that knocks the books off of the shelves and the books on the top shelf are the first to fall. It can be hard to restock the shelves with these books.”

Books may be a big help.

Pay a visit to your local library and find age appropriate books or other literature that your kids may find interesting.

This will be a big help in making them get a good grasp of the situation, and how they can also play a part in caring for your elder family user with dementia.

Acknowledge their confusion.

Make your kids feel that it’s normal for families, particularly the younger users, to feel confused with everything that is happening. Offer comfort and support as they adjust to a life with a family user with dementia.

Make them aware that what they are feeling is completely normal and that you will be there for them every step of the way.

Involve them in In-Home Care

Your child may be feeling left out and lonely from all the attention the grandparent needs to receive, the Winchester Hospital feature adds.

“Setting limits and boundaries before the visit will help reassure your child,” the feature explains. Some of the things the experts recommend kids doing to help out in caring for elder loved ones with dementia include:

In one of our previous features, we explained that a constant connection with the younger generation enables both grandchildren and grandparents to learn new skills. In this way, older people enjoy improved cognitive stimulation that helps keep their minds sharp and healthy and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Offering much needed support is vital in helping children adjust seamlessly to a new chapter of your lives. Getting reliable in-home care assistance may also offer a boost in helping your family set up an efficient routine at home

Get started by talk to our Memory Care Specialists today.

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Now You Know: How to make kids understand dementia at home