Changing the practice of physical restraint use in acute care

Older adults are more likely to be restrained during hospital stays than are younger individuals. Use of physical restraints significantly undermines quality patient care and represents substandard care. Rather than using restraints, nursing staff should determine the source of the patient's behaviors through comprehensive assessment and try to detect patterns to move toward restraint-free care. This evidence-based practice guideline can be used to facilitate the recognition of older adults at risk for physical restraints use and the implementation of appropriate interventions to move toward restraint-free patient care. This, in turn, helps to maintain or promote older adults' quality of life.