How do stroke-risk considerations affect your use of atypical antipsychotics for patients with dementia?  

Antipsychotics carry a number of risks, including a warning of sudden death in elderly demented patients. If nothing else works for a behavioral problem, you have to use an antipsychotic. Also, for frank paranoia, which is not only causing distress to parents but also to the environment, treatment...

I start by having a frank discussion with the patient and family, discussing the low but real risk, and discuss that other options have been tried. I ask the patient about their priorities, for example if dignity is more important right now than potential risk of stroke or even death, is that accept...