Alcoholism? where will he end?

hi. my dad has been on a drinking spree for about a year he has fallen out with practically all his family but this weekend things came to a head as he was arrested for trying to damage property after been refused drink at a pub. To make a long story short he ended up in hospital because he was so dehydrated he needed a drip.did this happen because he is starting to detox ?and how long will it take him to dry out ? will he remember all that happened in the past year ? he is 73 years old and has always had a problem with drink will this ever end? so tired of it now