Physical Restraints In Assisted Living Care

While no official laws regarding the use of physical restraints in nursing homes and assisted living facilities exist, many elderly care facilities tend to have their own policies regarding the use of physical restraints. Most facilities are against the use of physical restraints because it conflicts with elderly care facility’s purpose of keeping a resident’s dignity intact. It is difficult to ensure the legal security of people with dementia because while they have protected rights and freedom, that freedom can be limited while in care (9). Using physical restraints is a way to limit the patient’s independence; therefore, the use of physical restraints is often avoided at all costs. If an elderly care facility actively upholds their vision …show more content…
Assisted living care has a primary focus “to provide personalized, resident centered care in order to meet individual preferences and needs”. These facilities provide more than just health and medical care, which is why individuals who settle in assisted living facilities are typically referred to as residents, not patients. Long-term care and nursing homes are terms often used interchangeably with assisted living. Around 54% of the residents in assisted living are over the age of 85. In a proportion of these establishments (45%) resides patients who suffer from mental irregularities, such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia (3). The purpose of this research is to address the use of physical restraints in facilities that specialized in dementia care of the elderly population. Patients who suffer from memory disorders may become confused and exhibit aggressive behaviors towards caregivers and other patients (4). This common characteristic frequently drives caregivers to restrain patients. While we believe that restraints are over-utilized and misused by caregivers when attending memory care patients, we also studied the types of restraints and processes involved in using them. Although the act of containing a patient with restraints can be justified with proof that they pose a threat to themselves or …show more content…
In these specialized units, physical restraints are applied with the intent to prevent patient falls, control aggressive behaviors, and keep patients from wandering out of safe areas in the facility (7). The humaneness of physical restraints is increasingly disputed in existing elderly care centers. Each establishment is expected to have its own set of policies and procedures regarding the use of physical restraints that should be followed by patient care staff. There are constant colliding views in regards to the appropriateness of restraint use on dementia patients, which is why further analysis and investigation is essential.
Physical restraint impact The use of physical restraints in elderly care often triggers conflict between the facility of residence and the family members of the patients. The necessity of physical restraint utilization is often questioned from an ethical standpoint. Patients impacted by dementia who become restrained often feel trapped (1). The focal point of this review is to recognize the ethical challenges and mental attributions that physical restraints have on dementia patients. Although restraints are occasionally deemed necessary, this practice is repeatedly abused by caregivers in assisted living facilities.