“Is depression in the elderly common?”
My grandmother is 80 years old and is suffering from severe depression. She doesn't talk much or go out. She is constantly locked up in a room and refuses to do anything that used to interest earlier. Are these signs of depression? Is depression common in the elderly?
2 Answers
Yes, depression is common. Unfortunately, with the elderly, sometimes depression can be "masked" by memory loss from a simple urine infection or from dementia. My advice would be to get it checked out by a physician. There is a simple questionnaire that can be scored by the physician to diagnose depression.
Shannon Tapia
Geriatrician
YES AND YES.
