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My father has Parkinsons with dementia. He has been in and out of the hospital and rehab facilities, but due to his delusions and confusion, his agitation becomes an issue. He is unable to walk on his own and is a high fall risk. What kinds of facilities would be able to handle his agitation and combativeness, without drugging him, which has been the norm in rehab?

Why wouldn’t you want someone with delusions, confusion, agitation, and combativeness due to anger and fear to have medications to calm those conditions? Why do you think he should have to continually live in such a mindset? The right combination of medications is a godsend in such situations.
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Reply to MG8522
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FIL with PD became very paranoid and had hallucinations which he found very frightening. One time he punched MIL when she was helping him. Who knows what he was thinking in that moment, but he was either suddenly scared or angry. Most of the time his movement was mostly shuffling and he was very stiff. The doctor recommended ceasing his meds at bedtime so he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed. It mostly worked. Your LO needs to be somewhere where they understand the disease and can get support from his doctors to adjust his meds so he and his caretakers are safe. If he is dangerous when fully medicated, either he can’t be fully medicated or he needs other drugs to calm him. He might need to be in a wheelchair to reduce the fall risk from all the meds. There are no good solutions at this point, just least bad.
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Reply to ShirleyDot
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Meds are important to reduce aggression. My mom ended up assaulting a police officer. Since she is on the right meds she is much calmer and enjoying activities at her memory care facility.
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Reply to JustAnon
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The dementia that often goes hand in hand with Parkinson's is Lewy Body dementia, and that requires different medications than the other dementias do, so make sure your fathers doctors are aware of that.
If your father is on the "right" medication(s) it should help with his delusions and agitation, and make him much easier to place in any memory care facility.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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Sandra2424 May 27, 2026
My FIL was diagnosed with PD in the early 80's. He had some physical symptoms of PD, but also hallucinations and mental impairment. I was a PT student at the time and the symptoms didn't fit for PD. My BIL was a physician and had an autopsy done when FIL died. It turned out he had Lewy Body and the levadopa he was given for PD made him much worse. Please be sure of the diagnosis. Sounds like he may have Lewy Body dementia. Hopefully, they can do a better job of differential diagnosis than they did in 1980.
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Pretty much no responsible facility will take an unmedicated combative resident and put their other residents and staff at risk. I certainly wouldn't want my LO at such a place.

Please come to terms with the fact that dementia robs people of the ability to regulate their emotions and reactions, and they become increasingly negative, fearful, angry, less able to express themselves, etc. Giving them medication to alleviate this constantly distressing state of mind is merciful. The goal is quality of life, and if that includes medication to give them a more peaceful daily life, then it should be considered as a solution.

Just like you wouldn't withhold pain meds from him if he had cancer, neither should you withhold pain meds for his mood and mind.
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