Prevention of physical restraint use among nursing home residents in Australia: The top three recommendations from experts and stakeholders

Abstract

Objective To develop and prioritise recommendations to prevent the use of physical restraints among nursing home residents. Methods This study comprised two expert and stakeholder consultation forums using a modified nominal group technique and a follow‐up electronic survey to rank the final set of recommendations. Results There were 15 recommendations formulated to prevent the use of physical restraint among nursing home residents. The three recommendations ranked as most important were that: a single definition be mandated for describing “physical restraint”; use of physical restraint acts as a trigger for mandatory referral to a specialist aged care team; and nursing home staff profile and competencies are appropriate to meet the complex needs of residents with dementia and obviate the need to apply physical restraint. Conclusions Future studies should investigate the feasibility of implementing these recommendations and whether the proposed interventions reduce the use of physical restraint. Implications Implementation of recommendations to prevent the use of physical restraint may assist nursing home staff, providers and policy makers to deliver improved care that is more aligned with contemporary views of human rights.

Variation in restraint use between hospitals: a multilevel analysis of multicentre prevalence measurements in Switzerland and Austria

“…In addition, such efforts on the national level could stimulate a more open information policy regarding restraint use in hospitals, more critical thinking about restrictive practice in general and open discussions both within institutions but also in society. These aspects are well-known from similar approaches in the mental health or long-term care setting [ 53 , 54 ].…”

The Effectiveness of Educational Training or Multicomponent Programs to Prevent the Use of Physical Restraints in Nursing Home Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Experimental Studies

“…It is believed that leadership could essentially contribute to restraint-free nursing care by sensitizing nurses and creating optimal working conditions; nursing home staff profile and competencies are appropriate to meet the increasingly complex needs of residents with dementia [40,41]. Knowing that decision-making is mainly based on individual's experiences and often is ambiguous, the development of evidence-based guidelines to support decision-making regarding the (non)-use of physical restraints is highly recommended [40]. The decision-making process concerning the application of physical restraints has always to respect the resident's situation as well as nurse-and organization-related factors.…”

Does Restraint Use Depend on the Hospital? A Multilevel Analysis of Multicentre Prevalence Measurements

“…In addition, such efforts on the national level could stimulate a more open information policy regarding restraint use in hospitals, more critical thinking about restrictive practice in general and open discussions both within institutions but also in society. These aspects are well-known from similar approaches in the mental health or long-term care setting (50,51).…”