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My Grandma Has Alzheimer's

By Marie-Helen Goyetche

Your family will be able to grow into this situation, since it's a relatively lengthy illness. As your child gets older, the comprehension level will increase. As grandma or grandpa gets weaker and more and more forgetful, you should explain more to your child or make the visits together less often. The welfare of the patient must be put first. When you have younger children, they might not realize what's happening in their family. Visiting a sick grandparent can be exciting. New halls to run down and new adults to tell you what to do, or at least try.

"If your child runs around the room, makes a lot of noise and is disruptive, they aren't paying attention to grandma anyway and that sometimes gets certain patients overexcited," says Dobbs.

Children visiting their grandparents also can do lots of good to the ill grandparent.

"One family I worked with visited grandma with their baby," says Dobbs. "Grandma would light up. A visit from the children at first can give the elderly person quality to their life. The doctor can also be valuable tool in determining when grandma shouldn't be around the little ones anymore."

If you have doubts or worries, you can discuss them with the medical staff. Each case is different and each child is different.

"My kids still look forward to visiting their great-grandma," says Lynn. "I will continue taking them as long as I possibly can. I want my children to remember her, and for them to know she was an important part of their lives."

Want to see more?

• Growing up with Grandparents: Making Your Parents Part of Your Child's Life
• Gramma's Game
• Getting Behind the Eyes of Your Child
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!