Is Shock Treatment Advisable For Severe Depression?

This question is for my son, who is 53 years old. He is a bachelor who lives alone in Spokan, and has told me that he has been depressed since puberty. He lives at least 350 miles away from me, and is estranged from one sister who lives is the same city. He went to his doctor a few days ago, but did not want a prescription. He asked me to search about whether an electric shock treatment would be something that could change his brain function, and that is my question. He used to take drugs but stopped several years ago. He has a prosthetic hip from an injury when a horse reared with him and fell on his hip when he was 16, and is on medicaid because he can t sit very long, and ends up pacing the floor unless he is sleeping. He told me that during the last week he has slept most of the time and doesn t even have the energy to brush his teeth, eat very much, or shower. He wouldn t even get up except to take care of his cats needs. He doesn t have a computer, as he destroyed his after finishing a computer course where he excelled because they also taught the students how to be a hacker, and he didn t want the fight the temptation. Can you advise me and him?