my stepdad seems to be worse.
quetiapine, just bumped to 50 mg 3X daily
lorazepam, weaning him off .5 mg twice daily (only give when agitated)
divalproex dr 250 mg 2X daily
since adding the divalproex, he has become combative (his medical care providers are not the most responsive but we're locked in until October)
I'm not familiar with divalproex, is your stepdad bipolar? If so, the divalproex and seroquel are both supposed to help. I'm sorry to hear his healthcare providers aren't interested in doing the best they can for him. That makes me mad. They're not doing their jobs. Your stepdad deserves professionals who do their jobs well.
I ran a check for compatibility for the 3 drugs you mention and there are 3 moderate interactions between them. These are not to be taken lightly. Possibly they may be the cause of the combative behavior of your stepdad, though it's not specifically listed. The timing of the behavior after adding the divalproex has to make you wonder if a trial without the divalproex is called for to see if it's the source of the behavioral problems. Here's a link to the interactions (remove the parentheses):
drugs/interactions-check.php?drug_list=918-0,1488-0,1979-1274
Here's a link to the dose of quetiapine/Seroquel when taken with divalproex:
drugs/dosage/seroquel.html
I hope you feel better with this information in hand.
My recommendation is to take him to the ER and have him admitted for a geriatric psych evaluation. Do not take him home even if pressured. Tell staff you are nkt able to care for him until you are certain the meds are helping him. You do not need to wait until October to get this straightened out! You would go crazy by then, if you survive it.