Antipsychotics remain common in dementia care despite risks and alternatives

Knowable Magazine reports that dementia patients frequently receive antipsychotic medications to manage behavioral symptoms like aggression and irritability, despite warnings about serious risks for older adults with dementia.

A 78-year-old man with dementia in a Tennessee nursing home was given powerful psychotropic drugs without his family's consent after being labeled 'agitated,' though his behavior was linked to a treatable urinary tract infection, according to Knowable Magazine.

The man's daughter noted that the medications left him in a deep stupor, suggesting that the behaviors labeled as agitation might have been a form of communication that was misunderstood or ignored.

Federal watchdog reports from 2026 indicate that the use of antipsychotics as 'chemical restraints' remains widespread in U.S. nursing homes, often without first trying required non-pharmacological interventions, according to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

This ongoing practice highlights a struggle in dementia care between managing symptoms with medications and exploring alternative approaches that might better address patients' needs and safety.