Implementation of a restraint policy: a case study

A no-restraint policy was implemented for 50 elderly residents of a small nursing home to determine if decreasing the use of restraints would increase falls. The decision not to restrain posed a conflict between protection of the patient and staff beliefs. The results of the study seem to contradict popularly held beliefs concerning restraining the institutionalized elderly to decrease falls. During the 2-year period, only two patients sustained minor abrasions due to falls, and one patient experienced a fractured hip.