Hello and oh wow Pat. The blooms look like spent blooms which you can deadhead now or leave thru winter but I had a hard time finding the stems and the leaves in this picture. There is something on the lower left-hand corner that resembles plastic, blue-ish? Not sure what that was/is.

A partially green leaf of the upper right-hand side of the picture -I could not tell if it was a hydrangea leaf or not- had something growing from the edges inwards. If this is a hydrangea leaf:

If the edges are turning brownish, it could signal a lack of moisture problem. You can confirm this problem by regularly inserting a funger into the soil to a depth of 4" and determining if the soil feels dry. If the edges looks grayish, it could signal a powdery mildew infestation. If the edge of the leaf looks blackish, it could signal a fungal infection like anthracnose. If the leaves are wilted 24/7, it has root rot caused by too much water.

See the link below,
Luis

Here is a link that might be useful: ACES Diseases of Hydrangea

I agree with luis_pr, with that picture it is very hard to make anything out other than a few spent blooms.

SCG

I think the photo is upside down and it appears so twiggy that I think it may be some kind of paniculata. I agree with Luis that it looks like it was not watered during a hot spell. The opposite may be possible too - it may be drowning from too much water but hard to tell from that photo and lack of information (how was it cared for or not cared for, for example).

Back up a couple of feet and take a photo of the entire plant and close ups of any problems you see on leaves/stems. Another helpful hint is to orient the photos so the audience/commenters don't have to figure out what they are looking at or have to crane their necks to the orientation of the photo.

Fungal infections were rampant this year, at least where I live. About half of my hydrangeas lost most of their bottom leaves to one thing or another. These can also speed up the browning of blooms.

Let nature take its course for now after you remove spent blooms and infected leaves. Next year, treat the plant with antifungal spray on a regular basis from the time it leafs out througb September and if it is a paniculata or even an arborescens, do not water much unless absolutely necessary.

One of my Limelight Hydrangea trees is planted in a spot which has a propensity to take on and keep too much water (Planted on August 30, 2014). It was full and ready to bloom when planted but it was starting to get a bit dry and droopy while in the container the day it was delivered to me, so I watered it after planting it that same day and it firmed up beautifully by the next morning. However, a day after that there was a very hard rain which caused the tree's leaves to droop, then wilt and yellow and die. I tried puncturing the soil to allow oxygen and it started to bounce back but another day later all of the leaves and beginner buds drooped badly. I then carefully removed the tree (root ball fully in tack and in doing so I confirmed what I thought, which was it had been sitting in basically muddy water (rotting the lowest roots to some degree I presume). I laid the tree on its side over a small barrel to protect the limbs, then I set-up and aimed an electric fan at the root ball in the hopes of drying off at least some of the moisture. Several hours later, I filled the hole with much more dirt (a mixture of existing top soil, composted soil and fertilized tree planting soil). Then I put the tree back into the ground (planted High and Dry). It rained again the next day but not too heavy or long. The tree continues to lose leaves (yellowing then dropping, etc.). Only about 50% of the original leaves and young beginner buds are still on the tree but they all remain droopy. Note: I planted two other identical trees across the yard using the same soil mixture and both are doing fabulously well (they were originally planted just a bit higher than the sickly tree). My Question is: is there anything I can do at this point to help repair the root rot that has already taken place, thus saving the growth that is limp but remains on the tree? (again I must keep that tree where it is for I have no other place to plant it and it fit aesthetically in that spot). If not, can I prune it and when can I do so in the hopes of it coming back next season.

Root rot is very difficult to stop once the fungi get past a certain point. You could try pulling the plant out, pruning off the bad roots (you should be able to tell by the look or smell) and transplanting it into a pot/container. Then keep it there for several months, until you see adequate growth or it dies. Say until early to mid Spring 2015? You might be able to control the soil moisture better in containers. Just don't forget to water thru the winter months (once every 1-2 weeks is enough once the plant goes dormant). Water until you see water coming out thru the bottom holes. Then stop; let the water be absorbed. Then water again.