How do you explain Alzheimer’s to a child? It can definitely be a challenge. We were concerned how my niece would react when we all had Thanksgiving dinner together.
“What’s wrong with her?” she asked. As we tried to find the words to explain this terrible disease, my niece stared intently into the elderly woman’s eyes. Then, she turned her head and looked at us, eyes wide. “She looks old, but she’s a baby inside,” she announced and then began chatting away as if she was talking to her younger brother, describing what she’d done in school that day, a bird she saw in the window, etc.

However, not all children are so matter of fact about Alzheimer’s. If you’d like a way to prepare your child to meet an Alzheimer’s patient, feel free to read Al’s Hammer with him or her.

Posted by on 11.01.2006 • Uncategorized