Compassionate Caregiver: Explaining Behaviors Changes in a Senior with Alzheimer’s Disease to a Child
Caregiver Springfield PA
As a family caregiver one of the greatest challenges that you can face is caring for an aging parent with Alzheimer’s disease. This progressive disease can start mildly with symptoms that you may barely notice, but worsen over time until your loved one has lost cognitive and physical functioning, and is completely dependent on your care. During this progression he is likely to develop behaviors and symptoms that are very unlike the person that you have always known him to be. While watching this change happen is challenging in of itself, it is even more challenging when you also have a child who is witnessing the progression.
Having a close relationship with a grandparent can be precious for a child. This type of relationship makes a child feel important and appreciated, and gives her a stronger connection to her family. When the grandparent who she knows and loves begins to change due to Alzheimer’s disease, however, she can go through difficult emotions. Helping your child to understand these changes can ease her stress and anxiety, reduce the painful emotions that she may be feeling, and can help her to find her own ways to continue being a part of your parent’s life.
Try these tips for explaining the behavioral changes of Alzheimer’s disease to a child:
• Explain the disease. Even very young children can understand when you explain that your parent is sick. Make sure that you explain carefully that this is not the type of sick that another person can catch and that your child is not at any risk of getting it by spending time with her grandparent. Try relating the changes in your parent’s behavior to how her own behavior changes when she is sick. For example, she might be tired, weepy, and irritable when she is sick. Tell her that it is similar to that, but that this is a sick that will not go away.
• Remind her that it is not about her. Seeing an adult, especially someone who she loves and respects, suddenly start behaving differently can be very stressful for a child. If those behaviors include combativeness, anger, or lashing out, she might feel like she did something wrong. This can be very painful. Tell her that she did nothing wrong and that her grandparent does not mean to hurt her with his behavior. Encourage her to think of these behavior changes not as being her grandparent at all, but being the disease talking.
• Let her find her own meaning. Children are far more resilient and compassionate that many people give them credit for. Do not automatically assume that your child will no longer want to spend time with your parent, or that she will be afraid of your parent. Give her space to process this information for herself and to come to her own conclusions about it. Encourage her to find meaning in this care journey that you are on, and allow her to come up with her own ways to be a part of it. She may want to read to your parent or cuddle and watch television. Let her know that these are wonderful things that will help your parent feel better and enjoy a higher quality of life. Through these actions your child is also continuing her relationship with her grandparent and forming memories that she will cherish.
If you or an aging loved one are considering in-home Caregiver Services in Springfield PA, please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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