Girl says dementia game helps her speak to grandma

Maria said the game was helping her to communicate with her grandmother

A schoolgirl who designed a board game to teach children about dementia with her classmates has said it has helped her to start talking to her own grandmother.

Maria is one of a number of students at primary school in Merseyside that have helped researchers at the University of Liverpool turn their original Dementia Explorer Game for adults into a child-friendly version.

Dr Clarissa Giebel, senior research fellow at the university, said the game gives children "a fun, interactive way" to learn more about the syndrome.

Maria, whose grandma has dementia, said the game was "really good because the questions are helping me like learn a bit more about how I can talk to her and like communicate".

Children from schools across Liverpool were involved in the design

Schoolchildren from Dovedale Primary School, St Jerome's Catholic Primary School, and St Austin's Catholic Primary School were all involved with the project.

The game itself is designed in the shape of a brain and is divided into four themes: learning about dementia, understanding risk factors, how children can help and how to live well with dementia.

Players move around the board collecting tokens as they answer questions and complete challenges.

"It can be difficult for an adult to explain to their child that their grandma, granddad, auntie, uncle has dementia," Dr Giebel said.

"Dementia affects nearly every family in some way, yet stigma and misunderstanding still surround the condition," she said.

She explained how the condition does not just affect memory loss but also affects people's behaviour, how they act, speak and sleep.

"By engaging children at an early age, we can create opportunities to talk openly, ask questions, and start breaking down those barriers," she said.

Dr Clarissa Giebel said when someone has dementia it affects the whole family

Charlotte said it was "really cool" to be involved in creating a game.

"Whenever I look at it I'm like, 'I helped make that game'," she said.

Rocco said being involved was "a lot of fun but also very interesting because of what I've learned and the information I've gained".

"I think it's going to help people learn more about dementia," he said.

The Dementia Explorer Game has been created in collaboration with The Lewy Body Society.