Point Counter Point

Often the use of drugs to control people with Dementia / Alzheimer's is NOT in their best interests. The "side effects" are frightening and inhumane, to say the least.

As in all cases, there are excellent facilities but there are some "not so good" facilities that use drugs to control residents making their jobs less difficult. There are some facilities where the bottom line is profits not resident care. There are some facilities who are trying to do the best they can but are understaffed or staffs are undertrained.

Gregory and I are lucky that Lieberman is a wonderful place, doing a good job with memory care residents, and have strict policies about prescribing and using drugs. They are also a NO RESTRAINT facility which is a state law but they really practice it! The Resident Care Associates, nurses, and all staff are well trained in working with memory care residents.

Gregory who is on Risperdal shows appropriate use of Risperdal, an antipsychotic drug. In this case it helps Gregory be at peace with himself, less angry with fewer events of "striking out" as a responsive behavior, and therefore less agitated. He able to live a happier, calmer, more content life and the quality of life he enjoys is higher thanks to the drug.

 There are other interventions and activities of life that can be used when and where they help the person with Dementia/Alzheimer's cope with each day. Careful, careful attention must be given before decisions to use antipsychotic drugs are made and using the smallest dose necessary is so important.