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FAQ and Answers for parents and children who have a family member with Alzheimer's

Updated: Feb 4




What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

It is a disease that slowly destroys the brain and prevents it from working properly. After a period of about eight years, the brain is completely ruined.

What goes wrong in the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s Disease?

The nerve cells get tangled up and stuck together.

How do you get Alzheimer’s Disease?

Doctors do not really know what causes Alzheimer’s, but they are working hard to figure it out. They do know you don’t ‘catch’ Alzheimer’s from others like you do the flu. So, it’s all right to hug someone with Alzheimer’s like you might have done before they had the disease.

What kind of behaviors might you see in people with Alzheimer’s Disease?

  • Forgetting things

  • Getting lost

  • Not recognizing you, your family and friends

  • Not being able to do the things they use to do like cook, clean, & drive

  • Asking the same thing over and over

  • Telling the same story over and over

  • Arguing and hitting

  • Wandering around at night


What activities can you do with someone with Alzheimer’s Disease?

Most people with Alzheimer’s enjoy activities such as singing familiar songs, dancing, reading stories aloud, playing quiet games, looking at old family pictures, making a memory book, and coloring. Just remember, they may not be able to participate as well or as much as they did before they got the disease. It’s important to be calm and treat them with respect.

When should children interacting with someone who has Alzheimer’s Disease ask for help from a responsible adult? It’s time for a child to get help when he/she starts to feel uncomfortable or nervous. For example, call an adult when the person with Alzheimer’s starts to argue, wander around, or needs help with eating or going to the bathroom.

Tips for successful interaction with someone with Alzheimer’s Disease?:

  • Pick a time for the visit when both the person with Alzheimer’s and the child are in a positive mood. Time of day for interaction is best between late morning and early afternoon. Avoid evenings.

  • Be aware of either the child or the person with Alzheimer’s showing signs of restlessness. End the interaction while they are still enjoying each other. Short, frequent, meaningful interactions are better than a few long interactions.

  • Make sure activities are age-appropriate for the child. The person with Alzheimer’s probably a parent at one time and is familiar with playing at the child’s level.


Resources:


What is Mackenzie’s Meets Alzheimer's?

Mackenzie’s Meets Alzheimer's is comprised of the Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer's Awareness Program and the Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer's Disease Picture Book. It is designed to help young children face issues that arise when people in their lives are coping with both physical and emotional challengesof Alzheimer's disease or any type of dementia.

About the co-creators:

Alder Allensworth, MM, RN, CIHC has a Master’s degree in Music Therapy and is a Registered Nurse and Certified International Health Coach. The inspiration for this project came from Alder’s personal experience watching her mother who had Alzheimer’s disease interact with her grandchildren (Alder's nieces and nephews).

Professionally, she worked with children and geriatrics, including those with Alzheimer’s disease. Allensworth has also published several articles in professional journals. She won a Richter Publishing book contract in 2017. Her book, Prevail: Celebrate the Journey, is available on Amazon and has a five star review rating. She is a speaker and presenter in the field of disabilities on local, national, and international stages. Allensworth has been featured on CNN, local and international television, and newspapers for her life’s work of promoting quality of life for all people with disabilities.


Brenda Freed, MA, has a Master’s degree in Music Education/Music Therapy, with an emphasis in counseling. Freed pioneered the Music Therapy Program at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where she worked with patients of all ages and diagnoses, including Alzheimer’s disease. She has published music therapy articles, a poetry magazine and an arts and entertainment magazine. Freed teaches voice, piano and guitar online to all ages, voice and harmony workshops at festivals and conferences, and has produced a line of Effortless Music Instruction Products. She created the Young Artist Performance Incubator (YAPI) program at the renowned Kerrville Folk Festival. Freed is also a performing singer songwriter with several published albums of original material. She and her husband perform as Him & Her TX.

For more information:

Phone: 727-560-7502


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