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Children and Teens
FTD presents a frightening and disorienting experience for all family members, but especially so for young children of patients, who rely on their parents to be constants in a world that can already be somewhat confusing. AFTD recognizes the special needs of young families who are facing FTD and is working to marshal more help for caregivers who are parents of young children, and for the children themselves.
Caregiver’s Essay on the Challenges
Terencia K. Beauvais-Nikl, RN, is the caregiver for her husband and the facilitator of an FTD caregiver support group. In this piece she describes some of the things she and her children have discovered along the way and how they have learned to cope.
Resources
AFTD Parents Telephone Support Group
AFTD sponsors a telephone support group for parents who are caring for a spouse with FTD and have school age children at home. To learn more about the group, contact info@ftd-picks.org. We hope this will be a catalyst to developing additional resources for children and teens.
Therapeutic Children’s Support Group
Tricia Mettler, MA runs a therapeutic group for children, including those who have a parent with FTD. The group meets in Denver, CO for more information please contact her at 720-436-4116.
Started in 2008 as a pilot project by Tracey and Allen Mobley, Camp Building Bridges offers a summer camp experience for children and teens who have a parent with early on-set dementia, such as FTD. The program was adopted by the Oklahoma/Arkansas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to continue in 2009.
