Physical Restraints
The use of physical restraints is not prohibited in nursing homes, except when they are used for discipline or convenience and they are not required to treat a resident’s medical symptoms. According to the Long Term Care Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual, “While a restraint-free environment is not a Federal requirement, the use of restraints should be the exception, not the rule.”
Residents who are restrained typically consume more staff resources than unrestrained residents. They must be released every two hours and staff must include additional documentation when a resident is restrained.
Ohio KePRO facilitates a collaborative project with a small group of Ohio nursing homes to reduce the rate of physical restraint use. By focusing on process issues, we plan to help providers break down the barriers to safe, efficient care without using restraints.
Read more about physical restraints:
- Falls in Nursing Homes – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- MDS 2.0 RAI Users Manual – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Tools: Physical Restraints – QualityNet Medicare Quality Improvement Community (MedQIC)
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