A 79-year-old woman is brought to the outpatient clinic by her daughter for a routine medication evaluation. The daughter reports that her mother is quite stable and has no adverse effects from the...

A 79-year-old woman is brought to the outpatient clinic by her daughter for a routine medication evaluation. The daughter reports that her mother is quite stable and has no adverse effects from the risperidone (Risperdal) she is taking. Then the daughter says, “I just think my mother could be even better if she was on a larger dosage. My son takes 1 mg of Risperdal every day and my mother is only on 0.5 mg.” What is the most helpful response by the nurse?

1. “Maybe your son is sicker than your mother is.”

2. “We could increase your mother's dosage if you want.”

3. “Older clients generally need only one-third to one-half the dose of younger people.”

4. “I'm not seeing any symptoms of illness in your mother. Let's wait until the next visit.”