Physical Restraints

A physical restraint is any device, material, or equipment that keeps a resident from moving freely. Physical restraints were at one time common in nursing homes. They were thought to prevent falls and make people living in nursing homes safer. However, research has found that the opposite is true. In fact, studies show that restraints do not prevent falls and often cause more injuries and even deaths.

Minnesota has long been a leader in restraint-free care and has one of the lowest rates for physical restraint use in the country.

Current work with physical restraints

Stratis Health currently works with a group of Minnesota nursing homes as part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) National Patient Safety Initiative. The technical assistance group, 2008-2011, will focus on two selected CMS quality measures: pressure ulcers and physical restraints. The group will collaborate with nursing home staff to improve care practices in these areas. Additional training and resources are available to this group on topics such as person-centered care, falls, and mobility.

Resources

Educational Recorded Webinar sessions sponsored by Stratis Health are available on a variety of topics such as clinical topics, quality improvement, organizational change, using data, staff and resident satisfaction, etc., and can be sorted by date, topic, or health care setting.

Making the Right Choice: Information for People Living in Nursing Homes An important and effective way to reduce and/or eliminate the use of physical restraints is to provide education to family members, residents, and staff about the dangers related to restraint use and then to communicate alternatives to keeping their family member safe. This brochure provides information about choice, falls, and restraints in nursing homes for family members and residents. It explains the risks associated with physical restraints and offers alternatives to using them.

Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes The Mission of the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes Campaign is to help nursing homes achieve excellence in the quality of care and quality of life for the more than 1.5 million residents of America’s nursing homes. Under Resources, choose goal 3 of the campaign, Restraints, for a Webinar, fact sheets, an implementation guide, and more to help nursing homes safely eliminate physical restraints from their models of care.

ConsultGeriRN.org Resources to minimize the use of physical restraints in acute care and long-term care settings.

Physical Restraint Change Package This tool is intended to be used by nursing homes to reduce the use of physical restraints.

Physical Restraint Dashboard Tools for nursing homes to learn how to do better internal monitoring of issues. They may be useful during the interim without QI/QM reports. Sample Dashboard

Safety Without Restraints, A New Practice Standard for Safe Care This Minnesota Department of Health Web page provides background information on restraints.

Contact Stratis Health for assistance with your quality improvement and patient safety needs.

Please contact Kelly O'Neill, Kristi Wergin, or Jill Kieser-Andersen to discuss how we can work together to support your initiatives and for more information on eliminating physical restraints in nursing homes.