My mom has had alzheimers for about 5 years and has sufferd from depression for most of that time. My fater passed away about a month ago and she seems to have more severe depression. She won't get out of bed and cries alot. She is on antidepresant medication, but it doesn't seem to work. Do you have any other thoughts. We are going to take her to her phycologist to see if another med will help.

Steve,
First, I am so sorry for the loss of your father.
Second, Welcome to this site.
Last..is the phycologist her regular doctor?
Depression is something that I believe goes hand and hand with this disease, the crying does to a degree for some. My mother's brother passed away and everytime she remembered him it was like she had just found out he died and she grieved all over again. Made for a very tearful time. She has gone on past that grief but has gone back 20 years to her daddy's death and we have crying all over again for him..It is such a inconsolable cry.
Your dad was probably her last real grip on reality and with him gone she is set adrift. I lost my husband 23 years ago and the grief just doesn't let up for a long time. Would find myself crying as the drop of a word or a song..so her grief is so fresh that I would feel it is normal at this point. I only got out of bed because I had a job. My point is this may be one of the more normal things she has done in a while. Does she talk about him? Or just pulled into herself.
She may need med update but you can't remove her grief. He was her husband for a long time and she misses him more than she can tell you, so hug her often and tell her you love her because she misses him so much.
Share your grief with her because I found that no one would talk to me about my husband, it was like he had not been there and I missed him so and needed to talk about him.
Maybe the phycologist can give you insight on how to help her grieve.
So sorry for your mothers loss also.
Please let us know what the out come of phycologist is as I am interested.

Steve, I am not the care correspondant so wait and he/she will respond to you.
I am just a peer volunteer and I greet new members and share with you so that you know you have found a place that cares what is happening in your life with alz.
Sheryl

Dear Steve,

Firstly I am so sorry for the passing of your father. I am glad you could come here and share with us your story and I hope I can help give some guidance for your family in this very challenging situation.

I think it is a great idea to have more Mom re-evaluated by her psychologist to see if there is another medication that may be more suitable. After which it will be important to keep a close eye on her to uncover if in fact any new changes to medications are making a difference, if they are not please inform the doctor. Finding the right anti depressant is a trial and error process.

Sadly depression and Alzheimer’s very commonly to go hand in hand. Now, your mom is dealing with normal grief from the loss of her husband. The Alzheimer’s is most likely making it very hard for her to be able to cope with her emotions they way she did before the disease. Here is some more information about Alzheimer and depression http://www.alz.org/living_with...imers_depression.asp

There are some non medical approaches to treat depression in Alzheimer’s that you may want to try out. Acknowledge your mom’s frustration or sadness, while continuing to express hope that he or she will feel better soon. If possible, schedule a predictable daily routine, taking advantage of your mom’s best time of day to undertake difficult tasks, such as bathing. If you can make a list of activities, people, or places that the person enjoys now and schedule these things more frequently. Focus on celebrating small successes and occasions. Nurture your mom with offers of favorite foods or soothing or inspirational activities. Reassure your mom that she will not be abandoned.

In some cases, depending on the stage of the disease progression, it is found the person is unable to get out of bed and move on from the feelings of anger, sadness, etc because of how the brain has been affected. One way to help her move past this is to have directive and compassionate encouragement from the family members involved. Try to direct your mom to getting out of bed for a special dinner for example. Be specific yet simple for how she is to come to dinner. Begin to physically help her, if needed. She may be struggling at this point to make the move on her own without encouragement and instruction. If she needs to change to new clothes, offer those instructions as well. “Mom, here is a fresh suit you could wear for dinner.” Lay the suit out and if needed assist her with how to put it on. Just like the medications strategies like this are a trial and error. You may not succeed in one occasion but another may work.

The changes in her life, loss of her husband, and other losses related to dementia are affecting her mood, and perhaps other cognitive abilities related to the disease. With direct encouragement, acknowledgement of her feelings and regular visits to the psychologist, I hope you find your mom feeling better soon.

Please call us to talk more anytime. We are here to help 24/7 call 800.272.3900

Bests,