A description of risk associated with use of antipsychotics among community dwelling older adults: A descriptive cross-sectional study

•Dementia is a public health problem that requires the attention of health care teams.•Antipsychotics are the treatment of choice for the neuropsychological symptomatology of the dementia.•The use of antipsychotics increases the overall risk of serious adverse effects such as a stroke or death.•The risk of adverse effects was higher in polymedicated patients, with longer duration of antipsychotics and had a family caregiver.•Dementia patients who had been assessed by the community nurse were less likely to experience an adverse effect. The objective of this research was to analyze the risk of adverse effects in patients older than 65 years with dementia and in concomitant treatment with antidementia and antipsychotic drugs and who are cared for by community nurses. A retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out. A total of 332 patients who were cared for by primary care teams participated. Most of the patients were women, totally dependent for the basic activities of daily living and residing in the family home. They were polymedicated and there was poor therapeutic adherence. The risk of adverse effects was higher in polymedicated patients who had been taking antipsychotics for longer periods and in those who had a main caregiver. However, those patients who had been assessed by the community nurse were protected from suffering adverse effects. This study demonstrates how integrated and continuous nursing care can reduce adverse effects in this type of patient.