Patient with Alzheimer's Stage 3 comes with their daughter who is the legal caregiver. Patient takes lorazepam (missed morning dose). Patient is agitated in the dental chair. Management?

Correct answer: A. Talk with the daughter to help manage her father's behavior in future appointments

• A. Correct. Coordinating with the legal caregiver (daughter) regarding medication timing and behavior management strategies for future appointments is the most appropriate, practical step given the patient's cognitive impairment and missed medication dose.
• B. A dentist should not independently direct multiple doses of a controlled medication like lorazepam without proper physician oversight/coordination.
• C. While clear communication is generally good practice, a patient with advanced (Stage 3) Alzheimer's dementia may have limited capacity to process and retain step-by-step explanations, making this less effective as the primary management strategy compared to caregiver coordination.
• D. Removing the legal caregiver/daughter from the room would likely increase the patient's distress and is not appropriate given her role in his care and decision-making.