Smoking and Drinking After a Dementia Diagnosis

Oct 16, 2024 | Video

Smoking and heavy drinking are harmful to anyone’s health, but for those living with dementia, the risks are even more serious. These habits can significantly impact their safety and well-being.

Smoking and Dementia

Smoking — both first-hand and second-hand — can lead to vascular problems and cognitive decline, increasing the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. While quitting smoking can reduce future risks, it won’t reverse damage already done.

Safety Tip: If your loved one with dementia smokes, it’s important to remove all tobacco products, including cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays from their environment. This helps prevent fire hazards and may help them forget the urge to smoke.

If Quitting Is a Struggle: It’s okay to seek medical advice. A doctor can prescribe medications to ease cravings and reduce withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, depression, irritability, and changes in appetite or sleep patterns.

Alcohol and Dementia

Alcohol use is especially risky for people with dementia, as it affects coordination and judgment, increasing the likelihood of accidents and falls. A fall can lead to traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which can worsen or even create new forms of dementia.

Alcohol-Related Dementia: Long-term heavy drinking can cause a deficiency in thiamine (vitamin B1), leading to brain damage. This condition, known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome or alcohol-related dementia (ARBD), affects memory and cognitive function. Stopping alcohol consumption can help improve symptoms over time.

Tips for Managing Alcohol Addiction Issues:

  1. Remove all alcohol from the environment.
  2. Offer non-alcoholic wine or beer as substitutes.
  3. Do safety check-ups on your loved one.
  4. Be aware that quitting can cause behavioral changes, and protect your own safety.
  5. Seek professional help to address the root causes of alcohol use.

We Are Here to Help

Caring for a loved one with dementia is a challenging journey, but you don’t have to face it alone. At Sundara, we’re here to support you, answer your questions, and provide peace of mind when it comes to memory care.

If you or your loved one is in the Round Rock or North Austin, Texas, area, click here to send us a message or call us at 512-399-5080.

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Let’s be honest. Senior care has increasingly become a business. A formula really, with frequent changes in ownership and management, slick marketing pitches, poor care quality, high staff turnover, and a corporate approach that treats residents like a commodity. Sundara is locally owned and operated by a team focused on making a difference; a real difference that families and their loved ones can appreciate. We are not in the business of selling fancy real estate with hyped-up programs and spa services. We don’t provide care from a menu. We don’t have a slew of add-on fees or upcharges. What we do have is a team of owners that share a 12-year history together and unmatched levels of accountability, consistency and flexibility. We also operate from a simple care philosophy based on the premise that residents are a part of our family…NOT a commodity. We look forward to getting to know you and your family. Real care by real people for real families.
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Let’s be honest. Senior care has increasingly become a business. A formula really, with frequent changes in ownership and management, slick marketing pitches, poor care quality, high staff turnover, and a corporate approach that treats residents like a commodity. Sundara is locally owned and operated by a team focused on making a difference; a real difference that families and their loved ones can appreciate. We are not in the business of selling fancy real estate with hyped-up programs and spa services. We don’t provide care from a menu. We don’t have a slew of add-on fees or upcharges. What we do have is a team of owners that share a 12-year history together and unmatched levels of accountability, consistency and flexibility. We also operate from a simple care philosophy based on the premise that residents are a part of our family…NOT a commodity. We look forward to getting to know you and your family. Real care by real people for real families.
Request an Appointment
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