Restraint reduction: customizing approaches to care

The numbers highlight the success: Physical restraint use in nursing facilities has declined nearly 50 percent during the past three years--from 40 percent in 1989 to 22 percent in 1992--according to federal statistics. These figures are the clearest sign that restraint reduction efforts are working. But the challenge is not over yet, as providers struggle to bring restraint numbers down even further and make restraint alternatives the standard of care.