mum has alzheimers and drinks too much alcohol

jane.reynolds

New member
Jul 6, 2018
8
0
Hi my mum has started drinking alcohol a lot.... this weekend alone we have found 3 hidden bottles of whiskey. Mum was diagnosed last April with Alzheimer's and the increase in the drinking has been since then. What do i do my brother found her drunk and Tuesday and Friday of last week i went in and she was rambling on not making any sense on Thursday. Just at my wits end now with her. Please can anyone give me advise. She can wash herself do her make up walk into town and get a cab back, use her phone all of her cognitive skills are still good but its the alcohol now thats a problem.
 

fortune

Registered User
Sep 12, 2014
146
0
I remember my mum heading in this direction. It's hard to deal with. Luckily her GP picked up on it and told her that she shouldn't drink while Donepazil. She stopped straight away. Sometimes a doctor's single sentence is worth a million conversations with friends or family, especially with the older generation.
 

jane.reynolds

New member
Jul 6, 2018
8
0
I remember my mum heading in this direction. It's hard to deal with. Luckily her GP picked up on it and told her that she shouldn't drink while Donepazil. She stopped straight away. Sometimes a doctor's single sentence is worth a million conversations with friends or family, especially with the older generation.
 

jane.reynolds

New member
Jul 6, 2018
8
0
After each time she is found out she is so sorry and promises not to do it again, but she does. Mum will not take medication because she cannot drink on tablets. Her memory has become so much worse now and i am sure its related to the drinking. Its so hard to trust mum and also both myself and my brothers have to search to house to see where she has hidden it. What astonishes me is that she always remembers where she has hidden it. She has also started drinking wine out of a mug so we dont look for glasses. I hate to see her like this she never used to drink this much. My brother found her swigging whiskey out of the bottle the other day, during the day. Mum has lost the ability to understand time, date and day also now and this is very challenging.
 

Bod

Registered User
Aug 30, 2013
1,958
0
Try checking the bin for empties.
Often the full bottles are hidden, but the empties are not.
Could you take over her shopping?
The intent would be to slowly reduce her drinking over several months, by you supplying the alcohol, rather than her shopping for herself.

Bod
 

Shedrech

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
12,649
0
UK
hi @jane.reynolds
might you collect some of the empties and fill with much watered down whisky and wine, or even low/non-alcohol wine, so that your mum has some bottles of drink but isn't actually taking on such high levels of alcohol ... keep her well stocked up so she may not buy more for herself

and let her GP know, so they have a full picture of how things are for her
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
2,324
0
If she is still able to get out to buy her own alcohol I am not sure there is much you can do. If you can locate the bottles you could try watering down the alcohol as Shedrech says, as you don't live with her it will probably be a bit hit and miss, but worth trying if you think it's a possibility. I don't think you will be able to get her to stop, it's a question of trying to limit the damage.
 

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