Preparing a Child to Visit Someone with Alzheimer's

"Mommy, Mommy! Grandaddy called me Sara, he knows I'm Annie". Your little girl breaks down in sobs. "Why does he keep calling me Sara?"

This is one of many similar scenarios that can happen when visiting an elderly friend or loved one with Alzheimer's. It is important to prepare your child when dealing with a sick relative. The child will have questions and all questions should be answered honestly. The child needs to know what to expect so he or she does not make the Alzheimer's patient more irritated or confused.

According to the National Institute on Aging as many as ten percent of Americans have Alzheimer's Disease. The number is expected to increase as the aging population increases. The rest of the population should be informed when they are taking a child or anyone else to visit an Alzheimer's patient. It can be scary to see someone act like a baby or even go into a rage for no reason. Visitors need to be prepared especially children.

If children are told about the disease and know what to expect, the child can quickly adapt without being scared, or resentful. A child may become resentful of someone who continually forgets them, unless you tell them why it is happening. If you are taking your child to see an Alzheimer's patient, know what stage the Alzheimer's disease is in and how it is affecting the patient. If a patient easily gets irritated and physically violent, it might not be the best idea to take a child to an enclosed area with the adult.

The first thing a parent should do is sit the child down. The parent may want to do it in a fun way by looking at old pictures and have a picture of the Alzheimer's patient in the pictures being looked at. This is especially effective if it is not someone the child sees often.

Have your child look at the pictures with you and tell a story of each person. When you get to the picture of the Alzheimer's patient, talk about the person. Ask the child if the child remembers the person. Regardless of their answer, say this person may not remember you. This may make the child ask why. If the child does not ask questions, tell the child about the person and his or her disease.

Breaking the news with a picture is better than sitting the child down and making them feel something dreadful is about to occur. If you do have to sit the child down, just talk to the child about Alzheimer's disease and then, mention that the person has it. Let the child know how the disease is affecting the patient. Answer all the child's questions as openly and honestly as possible. Remember to keep the discussion on the child's level so he or she can understand. Preparing a child for a visit may ease the tension and will help the child understand what is occurring and why.