[lindyloo]

Hi Kathlou, welcome to the forum, so many people here with loved ones who have addictions.

I usually post about my son who has alcohol and cocaine addictions.

Your story resonates with me, as I had an elderly relative who lived alone who we cared for and I noticed same problems as you with your dad.

She was also getting forgetful and kept repeating herself. I took her to doc who referred her for brain ct scan. It was vascular dementia.

I noticed she was sleeping late, house in darkness, withdrawing from us a bit, personal hygiene, just sat in front of TV all day.

That’s when I realised she was drinking large amounts of gin ‘to help her sleep ‘ but it became an out of control habit.

Went to doc again said detox required or she would shorten her life as she was getting through 1-3 litres a week drinking it almost undiluted!

She got detox at home over a few weeks with another relative staying with her.

We got power of attorney when dementia was diagnosed, so she couldn’t protest much thankfully.

I attended all medical appointments with her so that I could paint a true picture of what was really happening.

She stopped drinking after that, but her physical health was affected and lost confidence going out after a few falls.

It’s difficult as they can be stubborn but when they have dementia they don’t realise the severity of addiction.

I know adfam homepage offer advice and support also Icarus trust posts here too.

I wish you all the best and hope you both get the support you need.

Lx

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