My grandmother is very talkative and sad

Tallies

My grandmother is very talkative and generally negative and depressive. How can we create an environment that makes her happy and that distracts her from her negative thoughts?

harshedbuzz

Hi.

IME, sometimes it is best to allow an elder- with dementia or without- the chance to express what's on their minds and listen. Once you have validated the feelings they are having, then you can move on with a redirection to more pleasant topics or activities. Upbeat music from her youth might work to brighten her mood.

That said, it could be your grandmother is clinically depressed and would be helped by a medication to treat that. I prefer a geripsych for psychoactive medication management, but a neurologist or PCP may be able to find something helpful if you can't access a geripsych.

HB