My mother n law has always had anxiety and depression. She was treated by a psychiatrist and therapist for many years. We removed her from her home b/c she was a hoarder and the conditions were unsanitary. Her mother died from alzheimer's. Over the past 2 years we've seen a sharp decline in her ability to engage with people, participate in activities, etc... We are not sure how much is forgetfulness vs. dissociative. She falls asleep right after eating which tells me some of it might be related to blood-sugar. We are at a loss as to how to help b/c she refuses to go anywhere, engage in social activities, and tells us and the doctor that she's "fine." She is angry if I show up at her doctor appts and will not tell us anything but "I'm fine" when we ask about the appts.
Our writer published an article that may be helpful to you regarding dementia and depression. I am attaching the link below.
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/dementia-depression-link-158881.htm
Warm regards,
Melissa R.
The AgingCare.com Team
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