by Alzheimer’s Support

What should you tell young children who interact with their adult relative who has Alzheimer’s?

Young children usually notice the odd behavor of a grandparent or family member with Alzheimer’s and wonder, silently, what is wrong. If no one offers an explanation that makes the situation all the more mysterious to the child.  The child may imagine the cause of the odd behavior as something much worse than what the truth actually is.

A simple and honest explanation of Alzheimers is always best. The family member with Dementia or Alzheimer’s has an illness. The illness causes odd behavior at times. But the family member is still a “loved” part of the family. They have no control over their illness. They are not able to stop it and sometimes can not control their strange behavior, either.