My grandmother has been depressed for a couple years now and lately it’s been especially bad (she turned 91 earlier this year). We’ve had lots of good talks where I reassure her, talk about my own experiences with depression, etc., and she seems to genuinely appreciate that and it makes her feel better to know I also have depression because she’s never had anyone around her talk about it before. She now recognizes when she’s getting panic attacks and we’ve talked about grounding techniques and things like that. I talk casually about therapy and being on antidepressants to help normalize it all more. 

but over the last few months she’s really come to a point where she really just can’t physically do a lot of things she used to love to do (gardening, sewing, etc; her arthritis is just too bad) she can’t drive anymore, her hearing has deteriorated a lot which makes talking to people hard so she doesn’t really like to go anywhere anymore. my grandfather and her siblings and closest friends have all died before her. She literally just has my mom, siblings and I left and fortunately we are all very close, but still. She takes turns living with my oldest brother in colder months and my husband and I in warmer months because of the different climates we live in. 

She was always the baddest bitch around, doing all the things all the time for everyone and super self assured and independent and loved to stay busy with a big social life and full time job and tons of hobbies. 

It’s honestly breaking my heart, I literally cry everyday because she engages in so much negative self talk about how useless and burdensome and annoying she feels and I try so hard to comfort and reassure her but I don’t know what to do. I’m going to try to call her doctor and see if they’ll talk to her about being depressed but idk man. She got so frustrated at herself today and I’m in my room bawling my eyes out because I hate how much pain she’s in. 

I know she needs professional help. I’m
Not sure she’ll be open to it, though. But idk. Would love any thoughts or suggestions  on what I can do for her in the meantime.