Is it Alzheimer's or depression?

A fellow caregiver asked...

My 80-year-old father is a recent widower, and he's grieving hard over my mom's passing. Lately he also seems more forgetful than usual, and he's losing weight and not socializing much. How can I tell if he's got Alzheimer's or depression?

Expert Answer

Anton P. Porsteinsson is the director of the Alzheimer's Disease Care, Research, and Education Program and the Memory Disorders Clinic at the University of Rochester.

You'll need to take your father to his doctor to help determine which condition he has. The two are different, although they can occur together. Depression is basically defined as a mood disorder. Alzheimer's disease, on the other hand, is a cognitive disorder.

Sadness and a persistent loss of enjoyment or interest in things that used to be enjoyable are two core elements of depression. Because your father is going through a natural period of grieving for your mother, he's at high risk for developing this condition. If his social network has also been limited by family and friends moving away or dying, that adds to the risk.

Your father might experience sleep disturbances, a change in appetite, and a feeling that life isn't worth living. Someone who's depressed might also have impaired attention and concentration, and that may explain your dad's forgetfulness.

You don't mention whether he's also having problems being aware of the time or of his location, or having trouble with reasoning or language. Those would be flags for Alzheimer's disease. Someone who's depressed may not care to drive or pay bills or pay attention to the details of events; someone with Alzheimer's can't do these things.

Both conditions require an evaluation and, usually, some form of treatment.