Alzheimer's charity launches new website to help children understand dementia

A new website has been launched to help children understand dementia, after a poll revealed that almost a third of parents say their children have been impacted by the condition.

Alzheimer’s Research UK has launched a website called ‘Dementia Explained’, designed to help children understand dementia. The launch of the website follows the results of a YouGov poll commissioned by the charity which revealed that 29 per cent parents have children who have felt the impact of the condition of a loved one.

Chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, Hilary Evans, said: “There are 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK and, as large as this number is, it is far from the complete picture. Dementia doesn’t just affect individuals, it impacts whole families and communities. Despite how common it is, there are still a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding dementia. For children, especially those with a close relative like a grandparent or parent with the condition, it can be a particularly difficult experience.

“Dementia Explained uses engaging content that will appeal to children of different ages to demystify dementia and explain why and how the condition can affect someone. It’s important for young people to appreciate that changes in the way that a family member may be behaving are nobody’s fault, least of all theirs, but the result of changes affecting how the brain works. Educating the next generation about dementia is critical if we are to overcome the stigma that still surrounds the condition today.”

The Dementia Explained website provides child-friendly resources that focus on the ways people living with dementia can change and the impact this can have on families.

The website contains resources, such as videos, interactive games and stories narrated by broadcaster Edith Bowman. All resources have been designed to help young people to learn about the brain and how it is affected by diseases like Alzheimer’s.

The latest YouGov poll commissioned by the charity revealed that three in ten parents have been impacted by dementia, 11 per cent of which said their children had a family member living with dementia.

There are already a number of sources of dementia information available to adults, however the latest statistic highlight the need for resources for young people.

The Dementia Explained website was created with the support and input of children and their families affect by dementia and is split into three sections with the content targeted at young children, older children and teenagers.

Sections include: illustrated online books, information about dementia research and scientific careers, games for children and a virtual tour of the brain for each age group.

Supporter of Alzheimer’s Research UK and broadcaster Edith Bowman, narrated two books that feature on the Dementia Explained website. She said: “I think this is a brilliant project. As a parent of young children, it is great to see such a fantastic array of age-appropriate dementia resources all in one place. Dementia affects so many families that it’s high time there was a site like this dedicated to children and teens.

“I can also see this site being a real help for parents who would like to talk through the condition with their children and explain why a family member might be behaving in an unusual way.

"Dementia isn’t like a lot of other illnesses and children can have so many questions that aren’t always easy to answer. The stories, information and activities on Dementia Explained will really help with this.”

The site has been developed with the support of Legal & General, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Eisai Ltd. It features an arcade-style game called ‘Amyloids’ and also has its own app.

Dementia Explained contains quotes and experiences from young people with a family member living with dementia and allows visitors to submit their own accounts of their experiences of dementia, post pictures, videos and pieces of writing they may want to share.

For more information on Dementia Explained, visit: www.dementiaexplained.org