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GERICLINICS

Clinical case · Depression

Tired, aching and "my memory has gone"

A 76-year-old widow brought in for memory problems turns out to have tiredness, aches, poor sleep and weight loss. Recognise late-life depression, assess suicide risk and start treatment safely.

Intermediate 15 minNeeds clinical review

You will learn to

  • Recognise atypical presentations of depression in later life, and distinguish them from dementia
  • Assess suicide risk directly and complete the baseline investigations
  • Start an antidepressant safely, watching for hyponatraemia and bleeding risk, alongside psychological and social support

Presentation

Step 1 of 10

A 76-year-old woman is brought by her daughter, who is worried about her memory: "She forgets things, she's stopped cooking, and she doesn't go out any more."

The patient says she is "just tired" and that her knees and back ache all the time. "My memory has gone. I'm getting old."

References

  1. Avasthi A, Grover S. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Depression in Elderly. Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 3):S341–S362. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.224474 · PubMed 29535469

Last updated 2026-10-21.

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