Husband is very agitated and the nurse said to give him Ativan every 4 hrs but now all he does is sleep. Is this ok?

It may be OK if you are in a hospice situation, and it is to the point that being awake = being agitated and in distress with zero quality of life and no other way to improve it; it may be that a lower dose is needed though and you should ask the nurse and/or prescribing doctor. I'm sorry to hear you are at this point, either way!

The clenched hands are contractures and it can happen in people with Alzheimer's. Try putting a dry rolled up wash cloth in the hand because contractures can cause skin and nail problems.

It depends. It is fairly common to help with the adjustment of residents that are agitated and pose a danger either to themselves or others. But medicating for the sake of medicating is another thing entirely. Thenhand clenching may be indicative of agitation. How is his behavior between doses of Ativan?