How to Make it Easier for a Child to Visit someone with Alzheimers Disease

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It can be difficult for an adult to visit someone with Alzheimer’s disease; for a child it can be far more difficult. It is important to prepare your child when going to visit someone with this disease. There are many factors that will affect how you will prepare your child, and these include the child’s age, the specific condition of the loved one, how close the child was to the loved one and the personality of your child.
First you may want to explain the condition to your child. Obviously this will mainly depend on the age of the child; you are not going to explain Alzheimer’s to a three year old. A twelve year old, however, will probably already know a lot about the condition and can much better understand. Explain that it is not the person’s fault.
Let your child know what to expect, again in age-appropriate terms. To a very young child, you might just say that grandma might ask the same thing again and again. You can get more specific as they get older. Some people with Alzheimer’s will say things that are not nice or even be violent, even when they weren’t like that in the past. Make sure to properly prepare your child so that he or she does not get surprised and thus more upset.
Let your child know how to behave. Tell him or her not to laugh or get exasperated when the person asks the same question again and again. Of course it is very important that he or she does not yell at the person or ask why he or she is asking the same thing. Tell him or her what to do. For instance, you can say just answer the same questions.
You can also give your child a way to connect with your loved one. For instance, perhaps a young child can sing a song for your loved one. This can be special for both of them.
Talk to your child about any concerns that he or she has. This can be very difficult, especially if it is someone who was close to your child. He or she might want to talk or ask you questions. Assure your child that it is still the same person, just that he or she is a little confused and different. Of course make sure that it is not a traumatic experience for your child or you may want to wait until he or she is more ready.
It can be a challenge to prepare your child when visiting a loved one with Alzheimer’s. It is best if an adult can be with them for the entire time to facilitate the visit and make it a positive experience.