How to Deal With Alcohol Issues
Alcoholic beverages and Alzheimer’s can be a bad mix. A growing body of scientific research suggests that alcohol consumption is in fact not good for anyone, even in moderation. But for a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or other dementia, the effects can be far worse, including:
Cognitive Impairment: Alcohol can exacerbate memory problems such as forgetfulness, which is already being degraded by the effects of the disease. A loved one who imbibes can also become confused more easily, and have a loss of attention and comprehension, which are already common symptoms of Alzheimer’s..
Physical Impairment: Alcohol can wreak havoc on your loved one’s motor skills, just as it does with anyone. But in your loved one’s case, it can lead to an increased risk of falling, bumping into things, and other physical injuries.
Interaction with Medications: Many of the medications prescribed for people with Alzheimer’s and heart conditions are negatively affected by the presence of alcohol in your loved one’s system. Alcohol can reduce the effectiveness of medicines, and in some cases cause harmful side effects.
Behavioral Changes: As alcohol does with many people, excessive drinking can cause increased aggression, agitation, anger, or depression, and increase mood swings. Alcohol also interferes with a person’s ability to sleep deeply, which is essential for brain health.
Worsening Alzheimer’s: Some scientific studies suggest that alcohol can actually increase the progression of the disease itself.
For a caregiver, coping with a loved one who has been a heavy drinker all of their life is a challenge. The cognitive effects of a loved one’s Alzheimer’s hamper their ability to keep track of how much they have been drinking at a given time. Their heightened emotions may cause them to resist a caregiver’s attempts to moderate their intake. At the same time, their cognitive impairment due to alcohol intake may reduce your loved one’s ability to care for themselves, such as proper eating, hydrating, and hygiene.
Caregivers dealing with the challenges of a loved one’s drinking need to deal with the issue on many fronts, including:
Practicing Empathy: Recognize that your loved one’s habits, like those of many drinkers, derive from a psychological dependence on alcohol as a coping mechanism for anxiety, social pressure, or depression. Seek to understand what their motivation for drinking might be, and whether certain circumstances “trigger” drinking episodes.
Doing a Medical Review: Alert your loved one’s physician discretely about your loved one’s drinking habits and ask them what the impact of drinking might have on the medicines your loved one takes, and on any other conditions such as heart disease. Consider asking the physician to broach the subject and make recommendations at your next visit.
Tapering Off: Do not attempt to shut down all drinking abruptly, as stopping alcohol consumption suddenly and completely might have adverse physical reactions for your loved one, particularly if they have been long-time drinkers. The good news in this area is that there has been a general renaissance lately in developing non-alcoholic beers, wines, and other “mocktails” that have much of the flavor of their counterparts but none of the alcohol. This is particularly true of beer, where there are many new “craft” breweries, such as Athletic Brewing and Partake Brewing, which specialize in non-alcoholic beer. Nearly all of the major brewers such as Heineken, Budweiser, Corona, and even Guiness have joined the trend with their own non-alcoholic offerings. Check out the internet for reviews that list the best tasting non-alcohol alternatives, such as this list from Good Housekeeping. These substitutes can help your loved one enjoy the behavioral experience of drinking, but without the harmful ingredients.
Find Alternatives: If your loved one drinks at a particular situation or time of day, introduce them to other activities at that time as a way of coping with the urge to drink. Try getting them involved in a new hobby, or engaging with a video series at the time they might usually be looking for a cocktail.
Get Support: Depending on your loved one’s stage of Alzheimer’s, a mainstream support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous may not be possible. Still, finding the root cause of your loved one’s drinking through therapy is worth trying. Talk to your NAN Navigator about local resources that might cater to people with dementia who also have a drinking problem. Consider involving a trusted family member who the loved one responds well to in discussing difficult subjects like these. Also request that your family and friends not bring alcohol to your home for gatherings.
Keep a Watchful Eye Out: If the situation warrants it, remove all the alcohol from the house and invest instead in non-alcohol alternatives. Keep in mind that there is alcohol in other substances such as cough medicine. At the same time, consider safety measures such as hiding the car keys, and ensuring that dangerous items such as sharp objects and weapons are safely secured and inaccessible to your loved one.
Care for Yourself: As always when dealing with a challenging situation, it’s important to make sure you are taking time to take care of yourself, too, as caregiving for a loved one who drinks can be emotionally and physically taxing. And if the combination of excessive alcohol and Alzheimer’s gets too overwhelming, or possibly dangerous, seek help from professionals.
Managing alcohol consumption in a loved one with Alzheimer's is a heartbreaking, complicated challenge that requires a multi-faceted approach. In the end, your goal is to focus on the health of your loved one, without impairing their sense of autonomy and agency. Striking that delicate balance is key.
