Question: One of the parents at my nursery is struggling to care for her mother who has dementia. Grandma lives with the family but her behaviour is getting increasingly difficult. Mum has asked us to help explain this to her son. What shall we do?
June O'Sullivan: This boy's parents have quite rightly recognised the importance of his relationship with his grandmother. Dementia is a debilitating illness and symptoms can include mood swings, angry outbursts and confusion - behaviour that could easily upset a young child.
Find out a bit more about how the condition has affected Grandma's behaviour then get the boy's key worker to have a chat with him. Children accept what they are told if it's done in a way they understand, so ensure the conversation is relevant and personal to his family situation.
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