Both common yet elusive, symptoms of depression, dementia, and delirium may overlap in older adults,

which provides a diagnostic challenge. Even more confounding, these three disorders, the three

Ds of geriatric psychiatry frequently present simultaneously. In this episode, we will review key features to help distinguish between these disorders and provide some tips on their management.

Welcome to the Carlatte Psychiatry podcast. This is an episode from the geriatric psychiatry team.

I'm Stephanie Collier, the editor-in-chief of the Carlatte Geriatric Psychiatry Report.

And I'm Neha Jane, editorial board member of the Carlatte Geriatric Psychiatry Report Report and an associate professor of psychiatry at Yukon Hedry.

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So let's delve right in and begin talking about the first of the three Ds, which is depression.

Depression is often experienced by older adults as depression without sadness and can show up as anadonia,

a lack of pleasure, or physical symptoms such as fatigue, general malays, and apathy.

Older adults are also at a higher risk of experiencing psychotic symptoms of depression,

with delusions presented up to 45% of older adults admitted to hospital because of depression.

Most commonly, the psychotic symptoms may manifest as auditory hallucinations, which are often

negative comments, paranoia, or nihilistic delusions, as in

everything's coming to an end. The world is in a very dark place. In the latest issue of the

Carlatte geriatric psychiatry report, Dr. Mayen mentions that when patients experience

visual hallucinations,

she thinks first about delirium,

...