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Children Talk About Grandparents Who Have Alzheimer's Disease (6:30 mins.)

Posted by Frances Shani Parker on January 10, 2009 at 10:56am
Location: Video
Views: 25
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Tags: grandchildren, grandparents, dementia, children, alzheimer’s_society
Many conditions can cause dementia, but Alzheimer’s (Ahlz-high-merz) disease is the leading cause. Most people who have the disease are over sixty-five, with eighty being the average age of diagnosis.This video shares what dementia is like through the eyes of grandchildren. Dementia must be explained to children in age-appropriate ways that can support them in their adjustments to the dementia of a grandparent. Listening to children’s concerns and encouraging them to express them are important. Family discussions can be helpful for everyone.

Parents should be aware of changes in children’s behavior at home and school. Children need reassurances that they are not the cause of a grandparent’s mood swings, that they are still loved by the grandparent who has an illness that sometimes interferes with the expression of that love. They should be reminded of the many good times in the past that they shared with a grandparent.

Frances Shani Parker, Author"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”"Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog"

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