Use of Physical Restraints in US Nursing Homes is Declining, Says USA Today
The use of physical restraints on US nursing home patients is falling, says USA Today. This information comes from self-reported data provided by the long-term care facilities to Medicare. Reportedly, unlike in 1991 when about 21.1% of nursing home residents were physically restrained on a regular basis, US nursing homes now, on average, use restraints to immobilize 5.5% of their resident population.
The National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform says a physical restraint is a device used to restrict a resident’s physical movements. The kinds of patients who usually end up in restraints are nursing home residents who exhibit low cognitive abilities, patients requiring antipsychotic drugs, residents who cannot perform at least three every day tasks without help, and patients who are prone to falls.
While the government doesn’t bar nursing homes from using restraints, nursing home residents are legally entitled to be free of restraints, which cannot be used for purposes of convenience or discipline. The restraints also must be used in an appropriate manner and not for the purposes of abusing or neglecting a nursing home resident.
Some examples of physical restraints that might be used at a US nursing home:
• Ankle restraints
• Hand mitts
• Chairs that are designed to restrict a patient’s movements
• Clothing used to tie residents to beds or chairs
Use of physical restraints have been known to cause injuries, including muscle atrophy, strangulation, suffocation, trauma, and death.
The USA Today article reports that more can be done to further decrease how often physical restraints are used on nursing home residents. For example, providing patients with beds that aren’t as high off the ground, giving residents socks with non-skid soles, and improving pain managent so that patients don’t become too agitated that they have to be restrained.
If you fear that your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you can take steps to remove him or her from the unpleasant and unsafe living situation.
Fewer care facilities use restraints for elderly residents, USA Today.com, February 17, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Federal Nursing Home Reform Act (PDF)
Guidelines On the Use of Physical Restraints in Nursing Homes, Atlanta Legal Aid Society
In Illinois, Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Steve Malman can help you protect your loved one and make sure that he or she gets the compensation owed for any injuries, abuse, or neglect.
