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Introduction
When a friend or family member has Alzheimer’s disease, you may feel upset, confused or scared. Alzheimer’s can be puzzling because a person who has it often doesn’t look sick.
But when you spend time with people with Alzheimer’s you know that something very serious is wrong. They may forget things, ask the same questions over and over, or have trouble even finding the right words for things. Some people with Alzheimer’s may cry, become angry very easily or behave in ways that embarrass you. Sometimes the person may not remember who you are even if it is someone like a grandparent who knows you very well.
People with Alzheimer’s disease are not acting like this to be mean or because they don’t care about you anymore. Changes deep inside their brains are destroying the centers that control remembering, thinking and feeling. They are losing their ability to make sense out of the world.
This page provides resources to help you learn about Alzheimer’s disease and understand how it affects you. It’s important to know that you are not alone. Alzheimer’s changes the lives of everyone it touches.
"my name is lisa"
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This powerful fictional film depicts a 13-year-old girl dealing with her mother's Alzheimer's. This video won best short film on YouTube in 2007, drawing the attention of millions. |
How Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain
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Your Brain: More Powerful than a Wizard, More Complex than a Computer
Do you like Harry Potter? This article explores how your extraordinary brain power helps you read, understand and remember. It also explains how Alzheimer’s disease damages the brain. -
Brain Tour
What happens in the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s disease? This interactive tour explains how the brain works and how Alzheimer's affects it.
How Alzheimer’s disease affects you
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Just for Children: Helping You Understand Alzheimer’s Disease (2 pages)
This fact sheet will help you understand what is happening to a person with Alzheimer’s disease. It also explores how challenging it is to take care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. It includes puzzles and activities. -
101 ways to spend time with a person with Alzheimer’s disease
A list of activities like making a scrapbook and looking at family photographs together that a person with Alzheimer’s disease might enjoy doing with you. -
What's Happening to Grandpa?
Online "fotonovella" that that tells the story of a Latino family going through the phases of awareness, treatment and care of a very close family member who has Alzheimer's. - Brief reviews of books about Alzheimer’s disease for:
Other Web sites
About Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s: The Tangled Brain
http://www.whyfiles.org/
A special feature about Alzheimer’s disease that explores causes, current treatments, new medicines on the horizon and prevention. Includes illustrations, photographs, and medical images. Hosted by the Why Files, a large collection of online science features for students hosted by the graduate school of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Alzheimer’s Disease
http://www.kidshealth.org/
A feature from the “Health Problems of Grown-Ups” section of KidsHealth.org that explains what Alzheimer’s disease is, how people know they have it, what the doctor will do to help, and what life is like for a person who has Alzheimer’s. Hosted by the Nemours Foundation, with all content reviewed by medical experts.
The Whole Brain Atlas
http://www.med.harvard.edu/
Medical images of healthy and sick brains. To see the images for Alzheimer’s disease, scroll down to the Degenerative Diseases section. Hosted by Harvard Medical School.
Brain Basics
Neuroscience for Kids
http://faculty.washington.edu
A site for all students and teachers who would like to learn about the science of the brain, nerve cells, and other parts of the nervous system. Includes links to other Internet resources, experiments and activities, and lists of books and articles. Visitors can sign up to receive a free “Neuroscience for Kids” e-mail newsletter. Hosted by a scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Brainy Kids
www.dana.org/kids
This site features a large collection of links that explore a variety of science topics. The “Lab Links” section takes kids on a journey inside the brain for a closer look at its structure and function. The “Lesson Plans” section is geared toward students and teachers alike and contains resources for classroom activities. The site is hosted by the Dana Brain Alliance.
Bats, Brains, and Burying Grounds
http://www.whyfiles.org/
A virtual visit to a “brain bank” that accepts donations of brains for scientific study after people die. From the Why Files, a large collection of online science features geared to students hosted by the graduate school of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
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What's Happening to Grandpa? Maria Shriver's children's book is about a
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