After an experience doing an internship at a memory care facility in my undergraduate career, I became more interested in the effects Dementia has on people diagnosed and those around them. I would see children come to visit their parents, but I never really saw a lot of grandchildren or anyone under the age of 10 come to the facility. It wasn't until I read an article titled OT's Role in Helping Grandkids Understand Dementia that I realized how different the memory care assisted living center could've looked had there been children present. This article explains the difficulty a woman had after her mother was diagnosed with Dementia and the struggle she had trying to explain what was going on to her young children. Dementia can be a very complex thing to understand for an adult, especially for a small child who doesn't quite understand how their own brain is working yet. The writer of the article, Kathryn, goes through trying to inform her children of their grandma's situation and how to make it easier for others to explain this concept. She actually wrote a book with pictures and diagrams to help cover the progression of Dementia. Kathryn tells the readers how things were different once her mom got moved to a nursing home and how the dynamic transitioned. This is where the article reminded me of my own experience and the lack of children coming to visit because Kathryn said how much it benefitted her mother interacting with her grandkids. I do recall one particular time that someone came to visit their mother and brought her 3 month old son, the change in demeanor of the residents was unbelievable and they all lit up like they were 35 again. Kathryn highlights how the staff at the nursing home encouraged the children's help and acknowledged the positive impact it would have.
This article really made me think more about how much both parties could benefit if the young population and those with dementia crossed paths more often. For example, maybe combine a preschool and an assisted living facility. Overall, I think this article makes several important points and I would be interested to see how the book Kathryn writes explains Dementia to children.
https://www.seniorsflourish.com/kidsanddementia/
This article really made me think more about how much both parties could benefit if the young population and those with dementia crossed paths more often. For example, maybe combine a preschool and an assisted living facility. Overall, I think this article makes several important points and I would be interested to see how the book Kathryn writes explains Dementia to children.
https://www.seniorsflourish.com/kidsanddementia/
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