My Grandma Has Alzheimer's
"My grandmother has Owls Timer," says 6-year-old Michael, talking about his great-grandmother who has Alzheimer's disease.
What is Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that slowly degenerates brain functions. Usually within 3 to 18 years, this disorder will destroy the patient's abilities to reason and remember. Their memory is affected, therefore learning is hindered -- they frequently forget things from big events down to little details. Because the patient forgets, there is also a breakdown in behavior patterns. Many patients feel anxiety and others can get violent. At the end of this tragic disease, the patient returns back almost to the infancy stage. They forget who they are, who their family is and even to take care of themselves. Many Alzheimer's patients get depressed at the beginning of their disease as they start to see what is happening to them.
"My grandma is getting to the point where she's very moody," says Lynn, Michael's mom. "One minute she's telling my kids how much she loves them, and the next she's yelling and in tears. It's hard for them to understand."
According to the Alzheimer's Association there are approximately 4 million Americans who suffer from Alzheimer's today. In a survey conducted in 1993, about 19 million Americans reported they have a family member with Alzheimer's. Most were between the ages of 65 and 85 -- that's a lot of grandmothers and grandfathers. That's also a lot of grandchildren who are touched, scared and have questions about Alzheimer's.
"Michael got scared today when we visited my grandmother," says Lynn. "He just learned to tie his shoes yesterday, and was so proud. He wanted to show is his great-grandma. Well, he's a little slow right now, and she started yelling at him that somebody needs to teach him HOW to tie his shoes. Poor thing. He looked up at me confused. I told my grandma that he had just learned yesterday, or should I say RETOLD her -- I had just told her five minutes ago."
Explaining Alzheimer's To Children
There really is no easy way to explain to your children how a patient with Alzheimer's acts. But with your help, they can begin to understand what's happening, and possibly even play a role in the care giving.
"It's a good idea if parents take their children along to visit the grandparent when the grandparent is in a nursing home," says Edith Dobbs, a private caregiver working with Alzheimer's patients. "It can be explained to your child that when people get older they sometimes need help, because they can't get around very well, they get tired and some of them get forgetful. Also, that grandma or grandpa forgets things now and needs a little help."
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