Senior mental health services cover depression and anxiety in later life, delirium, behavioural symptoms of dementia, and the assessment work that separates them. The four are frequently confused with each other, which is why a proper assessment comes before any treatment plan.
You usually cannot from the outside, and that is the point of a clinical assessment. Both cause withdrawal, poor concentration and memory complaints. Features that point towards depression include a relatively sudden onset and pervasive low mood; features that point towards dementia include getting lost in familiar places and repeated questions. Only an assessment with an informant history separates them reliably.
When attention and orientation change over hours or days, especially with infection, a new medication, dehydration or recent surgery. That pattern suggests delirium and needs same-day medical assessment rather than a routine psychiatric appointment.
It takes a structured history, tests cognition, screens for reversible causes, and produces a diagnosis plus a starting plan. Follow-up varies widely. Ask how many reviews are included and who takes over medication management afterwards.
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