Optimizing Care for Older Adults With Dementia-Associated Psychosis

Dementia continues to escalate as the aging population increases, and there are no medications available to reverse this disease. Dementia-associated psychosis/behavioral disturbances can be attributed to frontal lobe, vascular, Alzheimer, Parkinson, and Lewy body dementia, but patients must be assessed for other etiologies. Care for these patients can be challenging. Some studies find certain medications to be effective, but they are not without risk. Medications can lead to falls and even demonstrate paradoxical effects, causing significant distress in patients as well as their families. Nonpharmacologic interventions may prove helpful and should be used first if possible.