73 year old Dad is in a bad way

Hi all. My sister and I have been distraught seeing our relatively young (73yoa) dad basically falling apart for the last few years. He has always been a functioning alcoholic - but also fit, active and smart. Since his retirement at 65 he has not been well. The drinking is more or less constant - mixed with terrible issues with what teeth he has left, circulation issues that make walking difficult, hearing loss and eating and sleeping issues. We think he is also depressed and dealing with unresolved trauma (childhood abuse) that seems to be consuming his thoughts lately.

What this has amounted to is more or less a terrible inertia... All his great plans for retirement - out the window. Hobbies (taking care of his lake property, reading, listening to music) - more or less ended. My sister and I have noted that at his last visits to our respective homes he is not eating, sleeping, or moving much at all. He has a terrible cough (smoking or something more insidious - we don't know). When he was here last he also didn't seem to really take in things that used mean alot to him (sports on TV with us, listening to his youngest grandchild play on the piano he bought her, gossiping about family...). If he goes for short amounts of time without hard alcohol his hands shake terribly and he gets absolutely ill.

In short - he is in a bad way. He brushes off our concerns. Will not take us up on offers of help of any sort. Will not get his Power of Attorney done or will, or express any wishes for his future care. We are beyond worried now, are grieving the man who he once was, and are terrified about what is to come if this continues in its current trajectory. Mostly we just feel so damn sad for him.

Does anybody have any words of advice or wisdom they can share? We are really floundering with this.

Posted Nov 1, 2025, 8:07 PM UTC

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