The use of physical restraints in Western Australian nursing homes

Sixtyfour directors of nursing of Western Australia's 95 nursing homes that provide care for elderly residents responded to a survey designed to obtain descriptive information about the use of physical restraints. The study found that physical restraints had been applied to 26% (n = 787) of the 3028 nursing home residents. The most common forms of restraint were bedrails, which were used in 38.3% of homes, restraining belts (26.7%) and vests (16.7%). Ninetyfive percent of DONs cited "preventing falls" as a patient-oriented reason for using physical restraints and 19% said "because no alternative exists" was the nursing-oriented reason for restraint. While there may have been therapeutic reasons for using physical restraints, the extent to which they were used is cause for concern. Further efforts to reduce the use of restraints are needed. In particular, all nursing home staff involved in direct care of residents should be educated about the effects of applying physical restraints and about alternative way to manage elderly residents.