Mother’s Day will be here soon and many families will take time out from their busy schedule to spend time with their loved ones, mothers and grandmothers in particular. While Mother’s Day is a day to honor and remember our mothers and grandmothers, for families dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease, it can be a day of mixed feelings, especially when grandchildren are involved. It can be hard for a young child to understand why grandma doesn’t remember them or calls them another person’s name. It can be confusing when grandma says the same thing over and over or doesn’t understand how to play a simple game with their grandchild. When explaining about Alzheimer’s Disease to a young child, it is important to be honest and keep the explanation simple. They need to understand that grandma sometimes forgets things and sometimes gets names of people confused. The child also needs to be reminded that grandma loves them very much and that she doesn’t mean to forget. Most importantly, the child needs to understand that grandma isn’t doing this on purpose and that her disease can’t be passed to other people like the flu. Depending on the stage of the disease and the age of the child, the child may feel more comfortable if a parent is with them when they interact with grandma. Finally, be sure to have the discussion about grandma’s condition before you arrive at grandma’s house and give the child time to ask questions. A little preparation will go a long way in making this a memorable Mother’s Day with grandma.
Reach out, today, to Heather@DesertCareManagement.com or call us at 480-804-7200 if we can help assess and recommend solutions for your aging care needs.