New 'Dementia Explained' website launched to help children understand dementia
Alzheimer’s Research UK, a well know charity for dementia has launched a new and very unique website called ‘Dementia Explained’ and has been created to help children understand dementia better.
It is understood that almost a third of parents say their children have been impacted by the condition, Chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, Hilary Evans speaks on the subject:
’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.’
This website has been launched in the wake of a YouGov poll commissioned by the charity which uncovered that almost 30 percent of parents have children that have felt the impact of dementia on a loved one. The new website has seen children’s authors, audio storybooks being read by Edith Bowman and a range of dementia experts to create fact-based content as well as real-life stories from families affected by dementia.
The website is split up into three age departments ‘Young kids', ‘Juniors’ & ‘Teens’, each of these sections uses different ways to explain dementia through games, stories and a basic lesson in understanding the brain and how dementia affects this. Alzheimer’s Research has filled a very large and important void in the dementia awareness field, as whole this disease is filled with myths and misconceptions which can make it extra confusing for young children and teenagers so this new website truly is a blessing.
Supporter of Alzheimers Research UK Edith Bowman who narrated two of the featured books that feature on the Dementia Explained website 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.”
For more information on Dementia Explained, visit: www.dementiaexplained.org