A long-term care patient with moderate dementia develops increased restlessness and agitation. The nurse's initial action should be to

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Increased motor activity in a patient with dementia is frequently the patient's only way of responding to factors like pain, so the nurse's initial action should be to assess the patient for any precipitating factors. Administration of sedative drugs may be indicated, but this should not be done until assessment for precipitating factors has been completed and any of these factors have been addressed. Reorientation is unlikely to be helpful for the patient with moderate dementia. Assigning a nursing assistant to stay with the patient also may be necessary, but any physical changes that may be causing the agitation should be addressed first.

A Long-Term Care Patient with Moderate Dementia Develops Increased Restlessness