What is Alcohol-Induced Dementia? | Learn from OxBow Memory Assisted Living
Alcohol-induced dementia is an interesting topic that anyone should know about particularly loved ones in memory assisted living. OxBow Memory Assisted Living offers information about the basics of understanding why too much drinking can affect the brain and lead to memory problems.
The importance of knowing the signs, causes, and ways will help you support someone dealing with alcohol-induced dementia. Getting more awareness will also aid you in understanding the impact of alcohol on memory and creating a caring environment for those affected by this condition.
Dementia and Oxbow Memory Assisted Living
There are many neurological conditions under the term dementia which affect the brain and get worse over time. It is the loss of the ability to think, reason, and remember that eventually affects daily life activities.
Dementia was even thought of in the past as a normal part of the aging process. But it is not and not everyone will develop dementia as they grow older. Some people may develop dementia in midlife.
People with dementia and those taking care of them may face great challenges, which include the ability to handle tasks, loss of work, changes in family relationships, and the need for more care as the disease progresses.
Caring for people with dementia in memory assisted living is as important as educating family, friends, and caregivers about the diagnosis of a loved one. You can find out more about Oxbow Memory Assisted Living and how such facilities for dementia care, support, and research can help address memory problems or other symptoms.
What is Alcohol-Induced Dementia?
Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption over the years can cause alcohol-related dementia. Seniors are vulnerable to the damaging impact of alcohol on the body. Although this condition is a result of long-term alcoholism, it can also arise from frequent episodes of heavy drinking throughout their lives.
The cumulative effects of excessive alcoholism can lead to a range of cognitive impairments, which include the following.
- Difficulty with reasoning or problem-solving
- Memory loss
- Diminished attention span
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Language and communication difficulties
- Apathy
With this, it is important to recognize and treat alcohol-related dementia. You can talk to a healthcare professional if you think that you are experiencing alcohol-related dementia. Information gathered during the diagnostic process will help in ruling out other types of dementia, including vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
After diagnosing alcohol-related dementia, the first part of treatment is to help you stop drinking alcohol. This will require you to be under medical supervision and will take about several weeks. When you stop drinking, it might be possible that you can partially reverse the effects of alcohol-related dementia.
Alcoholism and Seniors
It has been observed that over the past couple of decades, alcohol consumption among older adults has grown steadily in the U.S. alone. Moreover, seniors with drinking problems are sometimes overlooked or even misdiagnosed. So, the only way to eliminate the risk of alcohol dependence is to quit drinking.
Rehab facilities throughout the country can help in treating alcohol abuse in seniors. Doctors can carefully monitor a patient’s withdrawal symptoms during detox and help them overcome future triggers and urges. You can contact the national hotline for alcohol abuse: at 1-800-662-4357 to carefully manage alcohol abuse in seniors.
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Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead