Everyone following these forums should carefully read the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/health/24deme.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
with many pros and cons about sedating patients with dementia when things get rough.
In addition, I draw your attention to a quote in the article from Dr. Dillip V. Jeste, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Univ. of California, San Diego. In reference to the observation that simply paying attention to a nursing home patient can ease dementia symptoms after noting that in randomized trials of antipsychoitc drugs for dementia, 30 to 60 percent of patients in the placebo groups improved. "That's mind boggling," Dr. Jeste said. "These severely demented patients are not responding to the power of suggestion. They're responding to the attention they get when they particpate in a clinical trial."
This elevated response to placebo in dementia patients is all the more reason to wait for double-blind studies to confirm the effectiveness of a putative treatment before any rush to elation from anectdotal evidence. This prudence is even more warranted for a population more susceptible to infection and drug interactions, occassioned by polypharmacia.

Sherlockspal,
Thanks for the info. I'll read the article. There are many pros AND cons of medications!

Peace and Hope,