Depression in the elderly

Caroline_ie

Hi,

I hope this is a good place for me to get a few answers or pointers.

My granny is 85 years old and has always suffered with depression. My mother was put into care several times as a child she wasn't able to look after her.

Right now she's living on her own in a town ( in France ) hours away from her children. My mother moved away a few years ago after she relocated. There was an agreement that my gran would move closer to her in her own flat, but she has since refused to move out and wants to stay put, albeit on her own.

She is majorly depressed, more or less 'as usual', but it seems like she's getting increasingly paranoid. She says people wants to steal her money and calls my mother regularly to tell her she's about to die type of stuff.

France has a great medical infrastructure and she had done all tests possible there is available and she is according to her doctor in perfect health, only still and as always clinically depressed.

As she is still 'all there' despite her old age and refuses to move closer to my mother, it's very hard for my mother to help her. She is also become extremely demanding and calls my mother sometimes to ask her to take her to the bank. My mum lives 200km away.

Anyway a long story to ask you guys if you have any experience dealing with depression in the elderly.

The only thing I seem to find on the internet is 'new' depression in old people.

What I am looking for is: How does a chronically depressed person get old. I hope all that makes sense.


I hope it's an OK question to ask.
Thank you

Odysseus

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Hi,


What I am looking for is: How does a chronically depressed person get old. I hope all that makes sense.


I hope it's an OK question to ask.
Thank you

We can't deal with individual cases here, but your question is general enough. The only problem is I don't understand what you are asking, maybe I just over tired. Can you re-formulate it or even expand on it?

I'n not being funny but I just can't graspe what you are asking.

Caroline_ie

Sure, it's a general question really. It's a bit hard to explain to be honest.

In someone that has been diaganosed with depression from an early age. How does the illness progress and as the person gets old.

How do you also know the person is their 'usual depressed self' rather than going through other typical mental symptoms of old age, ie: alzeimer and senility ... and how/does the 2 together mix.

It's such a tough one to explain. If it's too tricky to answer, I understand.

sergeyevitch

That's a tough one really. In general it is fair to say that older people are just older versions of their younger selves - which is to say the best predictor of what we will be like when we're 85 is what we were like years previously.

The Alzheimers-depression question is a tough enough one though. Depression is common enough in AD, and can mimic some of the signs of AD - it can be difficult to tell from casual encounters whether apparent memory problems are down to AD or depression. But usually (according to a lot of the research) the real AD concern would be more with late onset AD than with long-standing AD. That is not to say that someone with lifelong depression cannot develop AD however.

I have edited out some of this post as it is more advice in relation to the OP's relative, that belongs in personal issues. Lets keep this topic about the conditions not the OP's personal situation.

Odysseus

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Sure, it's a general question really. It's a bit hard to explain to be honest.

In someone that has been diaganosed with depression from an early age. How does the illness progress and as the person gets old.

How do you also know the person is their 'usual depressed self' rather than going through other typical mental symptoms of old age, ie: alzeimer and senility ... and how/does the 2 together mix.

It's such a tough one to explain. If it's too tricky to answer, I understand.

There is no clear cut progression with conditions like depression, yes people can devlope other conditions, dual diagnosis or co-morbidity; and those condition can interact with each other. Really, in such cases the person would need to have a clinical assessment done.

irishh_bob

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Hi,

I hope this is a good place for me to get a few answers or pointers.

My granny is 85 years old and has always suffered with depression. My mother was put into care several times as a child she wasn't able to look after her.

Right now she's living on her own in a town ( in France ) hours away from her children. My mother moved away a few years ago after she relocated. There was an agreement that my gran would move closer to her in her own flat, but she has since refused to move out and wants to stay put, albeit on her own.

She is majorly depressed, more or less 'as usual', but it seems like she's getting increasingly paranoid. She says people wants to steal her money and calls my mother regularly to tell her she's about to die type of stuff.

France has a great medical infrastructure and she had done all tests possible there is available and she is according to her doctor in perfect health, only still and as always clinically depressed.

As she is still 'all there' despite her old age and refuses to move closer to my mother, it's very hard for my mother to help her. She is also become extremely demanding and calls my mother sometimes to ask her to take her to the bank. My mum lives 200km away.

Anyway a long story to ask you guys if you have any experience dealing with depression in the elderly.

The only thing I seem to find on the internet is 'new' depression in old people.

What I am looking for is: How does a chronically depressed person get old. I hope all that makes sense.


I hope it's an OK question to ask.
Thank you

old people tend to obsess about money alot and thinking that others are stealing from them is quite common

planet1

Hi as said before an older person is a reflection of their younger self, but I have worked with a lot of Alzheimers patients and you would certainly know if your grandmother had Alzheimers. It is a very sad disease for it robs a person of their personality and all semblence of their normal self. Hopefully this will never be the case with your grandmother, at 85 she probably is looking for someone to care and is reaching out in the only way she know how. Best of Luck