For residents of Ontario’s long-term care homes, antipsychotic medications may play an important role in managing the behavioural symptoms that sometimes occur with psychosis or dementia, such as agitation and aggression. But the use of these medications has sparked controversy across the province, the country and around the world because of side effects such as sedation, higher risk of falls and slightly increased risk of death. Family members of long-term care home residents may also see their loved ones struggling to communicate or sleeping for large parts of the day as a result of antipsychotic medication use. However, without the medications, some residents and their families may suffer because of behaviours that put them or others at risk.