“What’s Up With Grandma?” Explaining Alzheimer’s & Dementia to Young Children
Words alone can’t describe the difficulty a family goes through when a loved one succumbs to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. It’s hard seeing your parent’s slow but inexorable transformation into someone very different. But young children are often the most confused, and frightened. Why can’t their grandpa remember who they are? And why are they acting strange? Explaining these diseases to a child is difficult, but not impossible. Here are some ways you can explain to your child what Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are and what’s going to happen to their grandma or grandpa:
1) Talk to them: Children are smarter than we think. Don’t try to “protect them” by hiding what’s happening. Sit down with them and have a meaningful conversation about their grandparent. Answer any questions they have about Grandma or Grandpa’s unusual behavior and sayings. Ask questions! Find out more about their perspective and if they feel any different about their grandparent, especially if your parent did or said something that unintentionally hurt your child’s feelings.
2) Explain the circumstances as simply as possible: Don’t try to offer deep explanations or clinical instructions. Instead, use simple terms. “Grandpa has an illness that sometime comes with old age that makes him forget things.” “Grandma’s illness sometimes make think she’s in a different place”. Your child will not get it right away, but they usually accept the simple explanations, and they will question you further when they are ready to hear more. Try to be patient and provide as much reassurance as you can. As your child grows, you can provide more specific details about the diseases.
3) Be positive: As tough as it is to care for a parent whose is living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, keep smiling for the sake of your child. If the child sees that you’re still smiling and positive, they’ll be reassured that they don’t have anything to be worried about either.
4) Involve them: Every circumstance is different. If your parent’s Alzheimer’s or dementia isn’t too severe, you should still have your children spend time with them or involve them in their care, even if it’s just sitting and talking with their grandparent. If your parent lives in a nursing home or assisted living facility, take your children with you for your next visit. A simple walk, chat, or game can go a long way in make sure that your child still has a good relationship with their grandparent. It will lift your parent’s spirits, and yours as well.
It can be stressful making sure your parent is getting the treatment and the attention they need for their Alzheimer’s or dementia. Centers Health Care has several facilities with specific programs for those that have Alzheimer’s or dementia. Contact us today for more information. We’ll do all that we can to help you and your parent.
With the Help of Our Physical Therapists, Residents Make Exercise a Fun Part of Their Daily Lives
Both short term and long term residents at Essex Center have the opportunity to work with our amazing physical therapy team. Here we see exercise as a fun fitness approach to health that everyone in the Essex Center community can benefit from.
We at Essex Center are justly proud of the good outcomes we create for our residents every day. Our professional physical therapists help our residents to achieve dramatic results. Using the latest techniques short term residents recover from accidents and surgery, reaching independence and discharge sooner than many of them ever expected. By working one on one with a resident, our therapists develop personalized programs that establish specific fitness goals and the steps it will take to achieve them together.
For our longer term residents, we make it a point to work the whole patient, helping them improve balance, mobility, flexibility and muscle tone. Physical therapy helps the people in our community live longer healthier, happier lives. It’s no wonder our slogan is Heart. Health. Home! Working one on one with their therapist, residents will follow a uniquely customized wellness plan that takes into account their general health, doctor’s instructions, and any special circumstances.
Though it can be difficult at times, there are countless rewards for following the Essex Center physical therapy plans. Exercise has been proven to relieve pain and even reduce reliance upon medication. And keeping sessions fun is one more way our therapists work to make physical therapy less of a chore and more of an upbeat, empowering, and productive experience. By taking treatment beyond minimally-prescribed rehabilitation, our therapists ensure that our patients practice the skills they need to live as independently as possible.
Essex Center is part of the Centers Healthcare family; New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island’s premier group of skilled nursing, rehabilitation and senior care services. To speak to a healthcare specialist and find out more about Essex Center, contact us by phone 24/7 at (518) 873-3570, or visit us at 81 Park Street, Elizabethtown, NY 12932.
Heart. Health. Home.
Meet Joe Corradino, Our Awesome Administrator at Essex Center
Joe Corradino is the kind of Administrator that skilled nursing facilities dream of attracting. He has forty years of hands-on experience in healthcare administration specializing in unparalleled long term care. His knowledge of the healthcare industry’s notoriously fast paced best practices is well known. He helps ensure that Essex Center stays at the cutting edge of healthcare and rehabilitation, employing compassionate, efficient, and proven methods throughout the facility.
Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting or working with Joe knows that his presence is immediately felt in any facility he enters. Known as a great mentor and teacher, a solid friend, and always reliable, Joe is guaranteed to improve the lives of those around him. Of course, he also brings with him a positive, caring, and engaged attitude with loads of energy and fun.
“There aren’t many other careers where you can impact the lives of so many the way you can in skilled nursing and rehabilitation, and it’s an honor to be a part of this industry”, says Joe. Is it any wonder we were so happy to get him as our administrator?
Essex Center is part of the Centers Healthcare network; New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island’s premier group of skilled nursing, rehabilitation and senior care services. To speak to a healthcare specialist and find out more about Essex Center, contact us by phone 24/7 at 518.873.3570, or visit us at 81 Park Street, Elizabethtown, NY 12932.
Heart. Health. Home.
