Hi, not posted on here for a while but would really appreciate some advice! Just to bring you up to speed, we got dad to the memory clinic where he was initially diagnosed with (medium stage) vascular dementia - a subsequent brain scan confirmed this.
In a strange way I'm glad that we've now got a diagnosis and are working towards getting some additional support for mum and dad from Crossroads.
The problem we've got at the moment is in relation to dads drinking. He's never been a big drinker, but over the last 2 - 3 months has been drinking a lot more and gets very agitated if there is no drink (whiskey) in the house. The doctor is reluctant to prescribe any medication until dad reduces his drinking.
We've tried to water it down but if dad realises we've done this he gets angry and demands a new bottle. We've also tried to substitute whiskey with wine - sometimes he'll have wine instead but always comes back to the whiskey.
Short of making him go 'cold turkey' does anyone have any suggestions - we've explained to dad in a number of different ways that he needs to reduce his drinking, which he always agrees with but then the next minute he's looking for the whiskey!
I suppose I'm looking for a solution that will make life easier for mum - am conscious that although I do what I can it's mum who is currently supporting dad 24/7 at the moment.
I know that I'm being very naive here, and that if this issue gets resolved there will be another one to take its place but one thing at a time!
Thanks for reading x
In a strange way I'm glad that we've now got a diagnosis and are working towards getting some additional support for mum and dad from Crossroads.
The problem we've got at the moment is in relation to dads drinking. He's never been a big drinker, but over the last 2 - 3 months has been drinking a lot more and gets very agitated if there is no drink (whiskey) in the house. The doctor is reluctant to prescribe any medication until dad reduces his drinking.
We've tried to water it down but if dad realises we've done this he gets angry and demands a new bottle. We've also tried to substitute whiskey with wine - sometimes he'll have wine instead but always comes back to the whiskey.
Short of making him go 'cold turkey' does anyone have any suggestions - we've explained to dad in a number of different ways that he needs to reduce his drinking, which he always agrees with but then the next minute he's looking for the whiskey!
I suppose I'm looking for a solution that will make life easier for mum - am conscious that although I do what I can it's mum who is currently supporting dad 24/7 at the moment.
I know that I'm being very naive here, and that if this issue gets resolved there will be another one to take its place but one thing at a time!
Thanks for reading x