ROANOKE, Va. – Every 65 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer's. Right now, 5.7 million Americans are living with the brain disease. That number is expected to exceed 14 million by 2050.
Talking to your kids about Alzheimer's can be hard.
Carilion Children's Pediatrician Dr. Ryan Fulton has three things you need to make sure they understand to help them with cope with a loved one battling the brain disease.
1. Honesty and openness are key
2. Help them know how to interact
3. Depending on the child's age, help them prepare for what's to come
He says the biggest challenge is helping them understand that things may change from week to week with their loved ones and that's hard to grapple as a child.