Antipsychotics
The administration of psychotropic drugs in elderly people with dementia has been a concern for many years because it poses major health risks. It has often been said that less should be done, but in practice the administration of medication remains high. Research by Radboud University shows that about 55 percent of elderly people in a nursing home are given medication, of which 25 percent is an antipsychotic and 25 percent an antidepressant. “Not something you want,” says Rob van Marum, professor of pharmacotherapy at Amsterdam UMC. “But we’re stuck with our hands in the hair.”
Dementia can lead to problem behavior such as restlessness, fear and aggression. Van Marum: ”Someone loses control of the world and no longer feels understood. You can partly overcome this by giving a lot of personal attention, but that is not possible 24 hours a day. Out of desperation, medication is prescribed in nursing homes, which can cause dangerous side effects. And we know about these resources from all kinds of research: it usually doesn’t work, but sometimes it does.”
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