Grandma's Living With Dementia

By: Amanda Bulgarelli and Abby Snow
Inspired by: Teepa Snow

About this Program

The MSU Extension Alzheimer's Dementia Awareness for ChildrenStorybook program is designed to teach children about a form of dementia.

The goals of the program are: 

1) increase awareness and knowledge about Alzheimer’s (a form of dementia) and

2) provide supportive resources to children and families when they have a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

The authors of this reading guide are:

• Ocean Jones, Montana State University Hilleman Scholar
  
  
• Marsha A. Goetting, MSU Extension Family Economics Specialist

Brief Summary

Timmy loves to visit his grandma. She lives at Shady Grove, a place where people with dementia live. Even though Grandma is tired or grouchy sometimes, there are still times when she is happy. Grandma likes to play games with Timmy, like the name guessing game. She has many friends at Shady Grove. Timmy always brings something for them to do to keep things fun and interesting. He always has a fun time with Grandma. Her dementia does not make him upset because he understands it is a disease.

Questions to Ask

• What does Teepa Snow recommend family members not to do?
• How many people live with Grandma at Shady Grove?
• What other people are at Shady Grove?
• What new things did Timmy learn when he visited Grandma?
• Why does Timmy bring things with him when he goes to see Grandma?
• On what day of the week does Timmy and his mother visit Grandma?
• What are the names of other kinds of dementia listed under the umbrella?

Activity Enrichment

• Using clay, have the child create faces with different emotions.
• Talk about each one and ask the child what happens when they feel each of those ways.
• Talk with the child about ways the child can work on recognizing their feelings and how to control them.

Common Reactions

• Excited: A child could feel excited when they get to visit their loved one with dementia.
• Fun: A child could think it is fun to let their loved one with dementia guess their name and other things about them.
• Thankful: A child could feel thankful that they get to spend time with their loved one with dementia, and that their loved one has many friends.

Other Reading Guides and One Free Alzheimer's Storybook Order Form

Other Storybooks and Reading Guides can be found at: https://www.montana.edu/extension/alzheimers/booksandreadingguides.html 

An order form is available at this website to request onefreecopy of an Alzheimer’s storybook (while supplies last).This order form is intended for only Montana residents.

Funding for purchase of the storybooks in this program have been made possible by a grant from the Montana Geriatric Education Center at the University of Montana, AARP Montana, and by the Endowment fund from National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS).