Explaining dementia to children

When dementia is diagnosed, everything is turned upside down. It not only affects the life of the person affected, but also the entire family environment. This makes it all the more important to talk to your child about it. But how can you explain such a complex illness in a way that is suitable for children? Here you will find tips and suggestions on how to talk to your child about dementia.

Forgetting something is completely normal. We all know it from our everyday lives. Your wallet has disappeared or the key to your apartment has vanished into thin air. But when forgetfulness increases and more and more memories disappear, dementia may be the cause. It usually affects older people, perhaps your child's grandma or grandpa.

The website "Wegweiser Demenz" offers you and your children an easy and sensitive introduction to the topic of dementia. On the information portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, you will find general information about dementia as well as numerous tips and illustrative examples on how to deal with the disease.

The content area "Explaining dementia to children" is specifically dedicated to the question of how you can teach your child about the disease and how to deal with affected people. There you will find advice and help, for example, on

• why grandma behaves so strangely,
• why grandpa can no longer remember the day of the week,
• why grandma's fly swatter ends up in the fridge or
• why grandpa sometimes can't find his way home.

The chapter "What Grandma likes to do now" provides suggestions for joint activities and leisure activities.

The portal also provides material tips and links to a book recommendation, a movie and the dementia educational game "What's wrong with Grandma?".

Talking to your own child about dementia is not easy - especially when loved ones such as grandma or grandpa are affected. Some parents would prefer to postpone such a conversation until "later", when the child is "old" enough.

But when is that?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this. Children have a keen sense of moods. This gives rise to questions and concerns that you should address carefully - without delay. Dementia will probably accompany your everyday life as a family over a longer period of time, changing constantly and constantly raising new questions for your children that need to be answered.

However, with an age-appropriate approach to dementia, your daughter or son can understand what is happening and learn to deal with people with dementia in their environment without reservations.