Children & Teens

Your entire world has changed as you are an important part of caring for your loved one

with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. This is especially difficult if it is your mom or dad

that has the disease. You may find that you are doing more things around the house

and that you are actually helping to take care of them.

Having feelings of sadness, being confused and afraid of what is happening is

completely normal. You may also be scared that you could catch this disease, but

please know that early onset Alzheimer’s disease is not contagious.

There are a lot of changes happening throughout the disease, and having someone that

you can talk to about your feelings will help you so much. That is why we recommend

that you tell your friends, your teachers, school counselors, and others that you are

close to, about this disease. These people will be your circle of support.

One of the best things you can do is to tell your friends about what is happening to your

loved one. You may not want to invite your friends over because you are embarrassed by how your loved one is acting. Tell your friends what early onset Alzheimer’s disease is. Tell them why your loved one acting a certain way. Let your friends know that your loved one is not doing this on purpose – they can’t help it. A lot of times when your friends know more about the disease, they understand better.

There may be days when you can’t go to school because you are needed to help out at

home. There may be times when you feel sick or depressed. It may be really hard to study and get your homework done because you are helping to take care of your loved one. As hard as it may be to talk with your teachers and school counselor, it is important for them to know what is happening in your family. Have a family member with you as you explain the situation to them. Let them know what early onset Alzheimer’s is or let us send you information that you can share with them.