Restraint procedures and dementia sufferers with psychological trauma

Restraint is an extreme response to an emergency situation in which there is imminent harm to self or others. Although some restrained patients become calm, others may become even more behaviorally disorganized. In some of these latter cases, the restrained patients may be victims of violence for whom the restraint procedure acts as a symbolic reminder of the past victimization. Elderly dementia sufferers may also be among these victims of violence. This paper provides a brief review of psychological trauma, research findings on psychological trauma in the elderly, and an approach to modifying restraint procedures that may be needed for dementia sufferers with a past history of victimization to minimize the disquiet associated with the needed restraint.