Physical Restraints
Caregivers often feel they will be liable for not protecting a resident from serious injury or necessary treatment if a physical restraint is removed or reduced; however, research indicates restraints increase the risk for serious injury (Evans & Strumpf, 1990). In the third quarter of 2007, Kansas had a physical restraint rate of 2%. In Quarter 1 of 2009, this rate had dropped to 0.9% which ranked Kansas #1 in the nation. By the third quarter of 2010 this rate had dropped to 0.6%, putting Kansas 3rd in the nation in physical restraint reduction.
Even though Kansas has made remarkable improvement in decreasing the use of daily physical restraints in our elderly residents, data shows there are still homes in Kansas with rates from 4.1% to 14.2%. The current national average rate for physical restraints is 2.6%. Adoption of a resident-centered, zero-restrain philosophy by long-term care managers is key to eliminating the use of restraints. Nursing homes with high physical restraint rates often lack staff resources, such as education regarding alternatives to restraints, and basic quality improvement methods.
Goal:
To reduce the use of daily physical restraints in Kansas.