Preventing belt restraint use in newly admitted residents in nursing homes: a quasi-experimental study

Physical restraint in older people: a statement from the Early Career Network of the International Psychogeriatric Association

The International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) has expressed significant concerns over the use of physical restraints in older people across diverse aged care settings. Following an extensive analysis of the available literature, the IPA's Early Career Network (ECN) has formulated a collection of evidence-based recommendations aimed at guiding the use of physical restraints within various care contexts and demographic groups. Physical restraints not only infringe upon human rights but also raise significant safety concerns that adversely impact the physical, psychological, social, and functional well-being of older adults. Furthermore, their effectiveness in geriatric settings remains inadequate. Given these considerations, the IPA and its ECN firmly assert that the use of physical restraints should only be considered as a final recourse in the care of older people.

Interventions for preventing and reducing the use of physical restraints for older people in all long-term care settings

BACKGROUND

Physical restraints (PR), such as bedrails and belts in chairs or beds, are commonly used for older people receiving long-term care, despite clear evidence for the lack of effectiveness and safety, and widespread recommendations that their use should be avoided. This systematic review of the efficacy and safety of interventions to prevent and reduce the use of physical restraints outside hospital settings, i.e. in care homes and the community, updates our previous review published in 2011.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effects of interventions to prevent and reduce the use of physical restraints for older people who require long-term care (either at home or in residential care facilities) SEARCH METHODS: We searched ALOIS, the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group's register, MEDLINE (Ovid Sp), Embase (Ovid SP), PsycINFO (Ovid SP), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Web of Science Core Collection (ISI Web of Science), LILACS (BIREME), ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization's meta-register, the International Clinical Trials Registry Portal, on 3 August 2022.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) that investigated the effects of interventions intended to prevent or reduce the use of physical restraints in older people who require long-term care. Studies conducted in residential care institutions or in the community, including patients' homes, were eligible for inclusion. We assigned all included interventions to categories based on their mechanisms and components.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently selected the publications for inclusion, extracted study data, and assessed the risk of bias of all included studies. Primary outcomes were the number or proportion of people with at least one physical restraint, and serious adverse events related to PR use, such as death or serious injuries. We performed meta-analyses if necessary data were available. If meta-analyses were not feasible, we reported results narratively. We used GRADE methods to describe the certainty of the evidence.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified six new studies and included 11 studies with 19,003 participants in this review update. All studies were conducted in long-term residential care facilities. Ten studies were RCTs and one study a CCT. All studies included people with dementia. The mean age of the participants was approximately 85 years. Four studies investigated organisational interventions aiming to implement a least-restraint policy; six studies investigated simple educational interventions; and one study tested an intervention that provided staff with information about residents' fall risk. The control groups received usual care only in most studies although, in two studies, additional information materials about physical restraint reduction were provided. We judged the risk of selection bias to be high or unclear in eight studies. Risk of reporting bias was high in one study and unclear in eight studies. The organisational interventions intended to promote a least-restraint policy included a variety of components, such as education of staff, training of 'champions' of low-restraint practice, and components which aimed to facilitate a change in institutional policies and culture of care. We found moderate-certainty evidence that organisational interventions aimed at implementation of a least-restraint policy probably lead to a reduction in the number of residents with at least one use of PR (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.94; 3849 participants, 4 studies) and a large reduction in the number of residents with at least one use of a belt for restraint (RR 0.54, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.73; 2711 participants, 3 studies). No adverse events occurred in the one study which reported this outcome. There was evidence from one study that organisational interventions probably reduce the duration of physical restraint use. We found that the interventions may have little or no effect on the number of falls or fall-related injuries (low-certainty evidence) and probably have little or no effect on the number of prescribed psychotropic medications (moderate-certainty evidence). One study found that organisational interventions result in little or no difference in quality of life (high-certainty evidence) and another study found that they may make little or no difference to agitation (low-certainty evidence). The simple educational interventions were intended to increase knowledge and change staff attitudes towards PR. As well as providing education, some interventions included further components to support change, such as ward-based guidance. We found pronounced between-group baseline imbalances in PR prevalence in some of the studies, which might have occurred because of the small number of clusters in the intervention and control groups. One study did not assess bedrails, which is the most commonly used method of restraint in nursing homes. Regarding the number of residents with at least one restraint, the results were inconsistent. We found very-low certainty evidence and we are uncertain about the effects of simple educational interventions on the number of residents with PR. None of the studies assessed or reported any serious adverse events. We found moderate-certainty evidence that simple educational interventions probably result in little or no difference in restraint intensity and may have little or no effect on falls, fall-related injuries, or agitation (low-certainty evidence each). Based on very low-certainty evidence we are uncertain about the effects of simple educational interventions on the number of participants with a prescription of at least one psychotropic medication. One study investigated an intervention that provided information about residents' fall risk to the nursing staff. We found low-certainty evidence that providing information about residents' fall risk may result in little or no difference in the mean number of PR or the number of falls. The study did not assess overall adverse events.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Organisational interventions aimed to implement a least-restraint policy probably reduce the number of residents with at least one PR and probably largely reduce the number of residents with at least one belt. We are uncertain whether simple educational interventions reduce the use of physical restraints, and interventions providing information about residents' fall risk may result in little to no difference in the use of physical restraints. These results apply to long-term care institutions; we found no studies from community settings.

The optimal intervention for preventing physical restraints among older adults living in the nursing home: A systematic review

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of restraint reduction programs for nursing home care providers in enforcing physical restraint on residents and identify the best strategies for such programs.

DESIGN

Systematic Review.

METHODS

We searched for randomized controlled trials published until February 2021 for systematic review. The systematic review captured multifactorial interventions, education and consultation measures, including nursing home residents' and care providers' results. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration criteria.

RESULTS

In all seven trials, the interventions were led by a nurse specialist or unit leader and targeted at care providers. Five of the restraint reduction programs effectively reduced the rate of physical restraint use; two increased knowledge of restraint reduction for care providers; and one each promoted positive attitudes and behaviours. Duration of at least 6 weeks significantly improved the knowledge of care providers.

Effects and implementation of a minimized physical restraint program for older adults in nursing homes: A pilot study

Purpose

Physical restraint (PR) reduction interventions are currently exploring in developed regions with well-established welfare systems, whereas developing countries with fast population aging have not attracted enough attention. This China's pilot study evaluated the effects of a minimized PR program on restraint reduction and nursing assistants' knowledge, attitudes, intention, and practice toward PR and explored nursing assistants' experience of the program.

Patients and methods

This was a one-group, pretest, and posttest pilot trial with a nested qualitative descriptive study. A minimized PR program was obtained by summarizing the best evidence and was implemented in one Chinese nursing home with 102 older adults from December 18, 2020, to March 21, 2021. An educational program including three theoretical lectures and one operation training was first conducted for nursing assistants one-month period. The primary outcome was PR rate at 3 months. The secondary outcomes contained duration of restraints, types of restraints, the rate of correct PR use, the incidence of falls and/or fall-related injuries, and antipsychotics use at 3 months. Data on PR use and older adults' characteristics were collected through physical restraints observation forms and older adults' medical records. Nursing assistants' knowledge, attitude, intention, and practice toward PR were measured using the Staff Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Questionnaire regarding PR at 1 month. A semi-structured interview for two administrative staff and a focus group discussion with 13 nursing assistants were analyzed using content analysis to explore perspectives of intervention implementation at 3 months.

Results

There were a significant increase in knowledge, attitude, and practice and a decrease in intention of nursing assistants after 1-month educational intervention (P < 0.001). Furthermore, only the rate of correct PR increased and the duration of restraint in the daytime decreased significantly at 3 months (P < 0.05). There were no significant effects on PR rate and other secondary outcomes at follow-up. Qualitatively, nursing assistants demonstrated overtly supportive perspectives and that assistance from the program enhanced their knowledge and practice. They noted several challenges that impeded implementation.

Conclusion

The intervention has acknowledged some benefits and was valued by nursing assistants. Implementation barriers should be addressed before delivering in larger trials.

Variation of the Occurrence of Physical Restraint Use in the Long-Term Care: A Scoping Review

Physical restraints in the long-term care setting are still commonly used in several countries with a prevalence ranging from 6% to 85%. Trying to have a broad and extensive overlook on the physical restraints use in long-term care is important to design interventions to prevent and/or reduce their use. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to analyze the range of occurrence of physical restraint in nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and psychogeriatric units. Pubmed, CINAHL, Ovid PsycINFO- databases were searched for studies with concepts about physical restraint use in the European long-term care setting published between 2009 and 2019, along with a hand search of the bibliographies of the included studies. Data on study design, data sources, clinical setting and sample characteristics were extracted. A total of 24 studies were included. The median occurrence of physical restraint in the European long-term care setting was still high (26.5%; IQR 16.5% to 38.5%) with a significant variability across the studies. The heterogeneity of data varied according to study design, data sources, clinical setting, physical restraint's definition, and patient characteristics, such as ADLs dependence, presence of dementia and psychoactive drugs prescription.

Examination of a contact detection sensor to prevent self-removal of peripheral intravenous catheters. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2021;2021:4965-4968. [PMID: 34892322 DOI: 10.1109/embc46164.2021.9630388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

If patients are at risk of self-removal of a catheter, it is necessary to check the condition of the catheter frequently. If this is the only way to prevent self-removal, physical restraint of the patient is required. Furthermore, it is currently necessary to reduce human-to-human contact to prevent COVID-19 infection. Therefore, the development of a sensor system to prevent self-removal of a catheter and reduce human-to-human contact is urgent. The purpose of this study is to examine a sensor system that detects the contact of a patient's hand to a peripheral intravenous catheter in order to prevent self-removal in patients with dementia. This study analyzes the use of a capacitance sensor and an energization sensor to detect the contact of a patient's hand to a catheter. Additionally, the time required from the start of peeling the sensor sheet to the removal of the needle was measured. As the results, the capacitance sensor was difficult to use in a clinical setting because the connection between the seat and cable could be unstable depending on the condition of the connections. The energization sensor was able to recognize the contact of a hand to the catheter by detecting its contact with the sensor. It took at least 28 seconds from detection of the hand contact to the beginning of needle removal. Therefore, it is possible for the caregiver to visit the patient's bedside and stop the self-removal when the sensor sheet detects hand contact. This study is the first step in developing the system that prevents self-removal by detecting hand contact and requires several more steps for clinical use. In the future, we will conduct surveys on more subjects and clinical trials on elderly with dementia to examine accuracy, precision, and repeatability. Using the energization sensor, a self-removal prevention system for dementia patients will be further developed.Clinical Relevance- Developing this self-removal prevention system in the future will allow many dementia patients to no longer be physically restrained, and it will make it possible to remotely detect their actions to prevent self-removal while also minimizing the risk of COVID-19 infection.

The Use of Physical Restraints on Geriatric Patients: Culture and Attitudes among Healthcare Professionals at Intermediate Care Hospitals in Majorca. A Qualitative Study Protocol

The use of physical restraints is a common practice in the care of hospitalised and institutionalised elderly people. This use is determined by factors related to the patients, their families, the healthcare professionals, the institution, and prevailing social values. Today, however, this practice is often questioned because of its physical, psychological, moral, ethical, and legal repercussions. The present study explores attitudes among healthcare professionals towards the physical restraint of geriatric patients in intermediate care hospitals in Majorca. This study is based on a qualitative design, combining an ethnomethodological approach with critical discourse analysis. The theoretical framework is drawn from Foucault’s work in this field and from Haslam’s theory of mechanisation. Individual interviews will be conducted with physicians, nurses, and nursing assistants at intermediate care hospitals in Majorca. The analysis will focus on these professionals’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the use of such measures, seeking to identify the factors, especially institutional factors, that determine the use of restraints. It is essential to determine the prevailing culture among healthcare professionals regarding the use of physical restraints on geriatric patients in order to design and propose a more dignified health care model in which such restraints are eliminated.

Definition and Measurement of Physical and Chemical Restraint in Long-Term Care: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aimed to identify thematic elements within definitions of physical and chemical restraint, compare explicit and implicit definitions, and synthesize reliability and validity of studies examining physical and/or chemical restraint use in long-term care. Studies were included that measured prevalence of physical and/or chemical restraint use, or evaluated an intervention to reduce restraint use in long-term care. 86 papers were included in this review, all discussed physical restraint use and 20 also discussed chemical restraint use. Seven themes were generated from definitions including: restraint method, setting resident is restrained in, stated intent, resident capacity to remove/control, caveats and exclusions, duration, frequency or number, and consent and resistance. None of the studies reported validity of measurement approaches. Inter-rater reliability was reported in 27 studies examining physical restraint use, and only one study of chemical restraint. Results were compared to an existing consensus definition of physical restraint, which was found to encompass many of the thematic domains found within explicit definitions. However, studies rarely applied measurement approaches that reflected all of the identified themes of definitions. It is necessary for a consensus definition of chemical restraint to be established and for measurement approaches to reflect the elements of definitions.

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

This review assesses the effectiveness of interventions to reduce physical restraint (PR) use in older people living in nursing homes or residential care facilities. A systematic search of studies published in four electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINHAL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials). The review included individual and cluster randomized controlled trials that compared educational training and multicomponent programs to avoid PR use. Risk bias of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. This review includes 16 studies in a qualitative synthesis that met the inclusion criteria, nine of them offered a multicomponent program and seven offered only educational training. The results of the 12 studies included in the meta-analysis showed a significant trend in favor of intervention over time and intensity of PR use tends to decrease. The review indicates that educational programs and other supplementary interventions should be effective, but the heterogeneous operative definition of physical restraints can make difficult data generalization.

Prevention and reduction of involuntary treatment at home: A feasibility study of the PRITAH intervention

Sometimes care is provided to a cognitively impaired person against the person's will, referred to as involuntary treatment. We developed the PRITAH intervention, aimed at prevention and reduction of involuntary treatment at home. PRITAH consists of a policy discouraging involuntary treatment, workshops, coaching by a specialized nurse and alternative interventions. A feasibility study was conducted including 30 professional caregivers. Feasibility was assessed by attendance lists (reach), a logbook (dose delivered and fidelity), evaluation questionnaires and focus group interviews (dose received, satisfaction & barriers). The workshops and coach were positively evaluated and the average attendance rate was 73%. Participants gained more awareness and knowledge and received practical tips and advice to prevent involuntary treatment. Implementation of the intervention was feasible with minor deviations from protocol. Recommendations for improvement included more emphasis on involvement of family caregivers and general practitioners and development of an extensive guideline to comply with the policy.

Improving practice and informing policy development: The impact of gerontological nursing research

Nurses have always approached the clinical care challenges they encounter with a combination of critical observation and a profound concern for human suffering. Beginning in earnest in the early 1980s, nurse researchers have pursued the answers to questions about the wellbeing of older adults, particularly those suffering from serious, chronic conditions. This paper offers three exemplars of nursing research domains that illustrate the creativity and commitment of nurse researchers seeking to understand and improve pervasive clinical problems experienced by older adults and to demonstrate the profound influence these activities have had on the evolution of the science and the quality of care for older adults. The impact of this work is reflected in practice protocols, institutional policies, government oversight, and improved outcomes for patients.

[Physical restraint use in relation to falls risk in a nursing home]

BACKGROUNDS AND OBJECTIVES

The use of physical restraints (PR) is common in the care of the elderly. However, their efficacy and safety are not supported by scientific evidence. The aim of this study was to determine the role of PR in preventing falls.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort study design was used, in which each fall incident (n=575) was examined in the residents over 65 years of age who resided at the one nursing homes from February 2009 to September 2013. An analysis was made of the association between the use of PR and risk of falls using a multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for the characteristics of residents that were associated with the use of PR according to a bivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Risk factors for falls after accounting for PR use, include: risk of falling (Tinetti test) (OR 4.57; 95% CI 1.76-11.75); ability to walk (OR 6.40; 95% CI 2.78-14.74); hearing impairment (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.05-4.29); and history of a previous fall (OR 17.81; 95% CI 8.83-35.93). The risk of falls was greater in restrained, ambulatory residents with cognitive impairment (OR 18.95; 95% CI 7.06-50.85). No differences were found in injuries between falls that occurred with and without PR.

CONCLUSIONS

Restraint use was not significantly associated with fewer falls and injuries. The risk of falls could increase in ambulatory residents with cognitive impairment. The study results suggest the need to consider whether restraints provide adequate protection against the risk of falls.

Physical restraining of nursing home residents in the last week of life: An epidemiological study in six European countries

BACKGROUND

End-of-life care in nursing homes holds several risk factors for the use of physical restraints on residents, a practice shown to be neither safe nor effective.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the frequency of physical limb and/or trunk restraint use in the last week of life of nursing home residents in six European countries and its association with country, resident and nursing home characteristics.

DESIGN

Epidemiological survey study.

SETTING

Proportionally stratified random sample of nursing homes in Belgium (BE), England (ENG), Finland (FI), Italy (IT), the Netherlands (NL), and Poland (PL).

PARTICIPANTS

Nursing home staff (nurses or care assistants).

METHODS

In all participating nursing homes, we identified all residents who died during the three months prior to measurements. The staff member most involved in each resident's care indicated in a structured questionnaire whether trunk and/or limb restraints were used on that resident during the last week of life 'daily', 'less frequently than daily' or 'not used'.

RESULTS

In 322 nursing homes, staff returned questionnaires regarding 1384 deceased residents (response rate 81%). Limb and/or trunk restraints were used "daily" in the last week of life in 8% (BE), 1% (ENG), 4% (FI), 12% (IT), 0% (NL), and 0.4% (PL) of residents; and "less frequently than daily" in 4% (BE), 0% (ENG), 0.4% (FI), 6% (IT), 0% (NL), and 3.5% (PL) of residents. Restraint use was associated with country (p = 0.020) and inversely associated with residents' age (p = 0.017; odds ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.93 to 0.99). Restraint use was not significantly associated with resident's gender, dementia, functional status, staffing level, or the level of dependency of residents within the nursing home.

CONCLUSIONS

In all but one of the six countries studied, staff reported that nursing home residents were restrained through limb and/or trunk restraints in the last week of life. The proportion of restrained residents was highest in Italy and Belgium. Organizational and resident characteristics may not be relevant predictors of restraint use at the end of life in this setting. National policy that explicitly discourages physical restraints in nursing home care and suggests alternative practices may be an important component of strategies to prevent their use.

Educational intervention on physical restraint use in long-term care facilities - Systematic review and meta-analysis

"Physical restraint" formerly used as a measure of protection for psychiatric patients is now widely used. However, existing studies showed that physical restraint not only has inadequate effect of protection but also has negative effects on residents. To analyzes the impact of educational program on the physical restraint use in long-term care facilities.

DESIGN

A systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression. Eight databases, including Cochrane Library, ProQuest, PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCO, Web of Science, Ovid Medline and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), were searched up to January 2017. Eligible studies were classified by intervention and accessed for quality using the Quality Assessment Tool for quantitative studies. Sixteen research articles were eligible in the final review; 10 randomize control trail studies were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that the use of physical restraint was significantly less often in the experimental (education) group (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.39 to 0.78, p < 0.001) compared to the control group. Meta-regression revealed the period of post education would have decreased the effect of the restraint educational program (β: 0.08, p = 0.002); instead, the longer education period and more times of education would have a stronger effect of reducing the use of physical restraint (β: -0.07, p < 0.001; β: -0.04, p = 0.056). The educational program had an effect on the reduced use of physical restraint. The results of meta-regression suggest that long-term care facilities should provide a continuous education program of physical restraint for caregivers.

Physical Restraints: Consensus of a Research Definition Using a Modified Delphi Technique

OBJECTIVES

To develop an internationally accepted research definition of physical restraint.

DESIGN

Comprehensive literature search followed by a web-based, three-round, modified Delphi technique comprising reviews and feedback.

SETTING

Clinical care settings.

PARTICIPANTS

An international group of 48 experts consisting of researchers and clinicians from 14 countries who have made sustained contribution to research and clinical application in the field of physical restraint in clinical care.

MEASUREMENTS

Data were collected using an online survey program and one in-person meeting. Results of the online survey and the in-person meeting were used for distribution in subsequent rounds until consensus on a definition was reached. Consensus was defined as 90% of the participating experts agreeing with the proposed definition of physical restraint.

RESULTS

Thirty-four different definitions were identified during the literature search and served as a starting point for the modified Delphi technique. After three rounds, 45 (95.7%) of 47 remaining experts agreed with the newly proposed definition: "Physical restraint is defined as any action or procedure that prevents a person's free body movement to a position of choice and/or normal access to his/her body by the use of any method, attached or adjacent to a person's body that he/she cannot control or remove easily."

CONCLUSION

A multidisciplinary, internationally representative panel of experts reached consensus on a research definition for physical restraints in older persons. This is a necessary step toward improved comparisons of the prevalence of physical restraint use across studies and countries. This definition can further guide research interventions aimed at reducing use of physical restraints.

[Effectiveness of training interventions aimed at reducing physical restraints in institutionalised older people: A systematic review]

There is some controversy about the use of physical restraints in institutionalised elderly people. The aim of this review is to analyse studies that evaluated the effectiveness of training interventions targeting interdisciplinary teams aimed at preventing, reducing or eliminating the use of physical restraints in nursing homes. A systematic search was performed in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Web of Science to find clinical trials, published in English or in Spanish, that examined training sessions for interdisciplinary teams aimed at preventing, minimising or eliminating the use of physical restrains in institutionalised people over 65 years. Ten papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The findings show conflicting results on the effectiveness of training sessions. Furthermore, they lack sufficient empirical evidence to be able to assert that training sessions brought about a reduction in the use of physical restraints. More studies are needed that analyse the effectiveness of these interventions to prevent or eliminate the use of physical restraints in these institutions.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions designed to prevent or stop elder maltreatment

BACKGROUND

elder maltreatment is a major risk for older adults' mental health, quality of life, health, institutionalisation and even mortality.

OBJECTIVES

to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions designed to prevent or stop elder abuse.

METHODS

Studies that were posted between January 2000 and December 2014, written in English, specifically designed to prevent or stop elder maltreatment were included.

RESULTS

overall, 24 studies (and four records reporting on the same participants) were kept for the systematic review and the meta-analysis. Studies were broadly grouped into three main categories: (i) interventions designed to improve the ability of professionals to detect or stop elder maltreatment (n = 2), (ii) interventions that target older adults who experience elder maltreatment (n = 3) and (iii) interventions that target caregivers who maltreat older adults (n = 19). Of the latter category, one study targeted family caregivers, five targeted psychological abuse among paid carers and the remaining studies targeted restraint use. The pooled effect of randomised controlled trials (RCTs)/cluster-RCTs that targeted restraint use was significant, supporting the effectiveness of these interventions in reducing restraint use: standardised mean difference: -0.24, 95% confidence interval = -0.38 to -0.09.

INTERPRETATION

the most effective place to intervene at the present time is by directly targeting physical restraint by long-term care paid carers. Specific areas that are still lacking evidence at the present time are interventions that target (i) elder neglect, (ii) public awareness, (iii) older adults who experience maltreatment, (iv) professionals responsible for preventing maltreatment, (v) family caregivers who abuse and (vi) carers who abuse.

Use of physical restraints in nursing homes: a multicentre cross-sectional study

Background

Although many countries have implemented strict legal rules, the prevalence of physical restraints in nursing homes seems to remain high. In Switzerland, data related to the frequency of physical restraints are scarce and little is known about associations with resident and nursing home characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and types of physical restraints in nursing homes in two Swiss cantons and to explore whether resident-related and organisational factors are associated with the use of physical restraints.

Methods

We conducted a multicentre cross-sectional study. Twenty nursing homes with 1362 residents from two culturally different cantons were included. Data on physical restraints and residents’ characteristics were extracted from residents’ records (11/2013 to 2/2014). Organisational data were collected by questionnaires addressing nursing home directors or nursing managers. Sample size calculation and outcome analysis took cluster-adjustment into account. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analysis with nursing homes as random effect were used for investigation.

Results

The prevalence of residents with at least one physical restraint was 26.8 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] 19.8–33.8). Centre prevalence ranged from 2.6 to 61.2 %. Bilateral bedrails were most frequently used (20.3 %, 95 % CI 13.5–27.1). Length of residence, degrees of care dependency and mobility limitation were significantly positively associated with the use of physical restraint, but none of the organisational characteristics was significantly associated.

Conclusion

Approximately a quarter of the nursing home residents included in our study experienced physical restraints. Since variation between nursing homes was pronounced, it seems to be worthwhile to explore nursing homes with particularly low and high use of physical restraints in future research, especially by using qualitative methods. There is a need for effective interventions aiming at restraint-free nursing care. Development of interventional approaches should consider specific residents’ characteristics associated with restraint use.

Staffing levels and the use of physical restraints in nursing homes: a multicenter study

There is an unclear relation between staffing levels and the use of physical restraints in nursing homes (NHs). A survey design was used in 570 older adults (median age = 86; 77.2% women), living on 23 wards within seven NHs. Restraint use was high (50% of residents, of which 80% were restrained on a daily basis). Multivariate analysis was conducted at the level of the individual wards. Neither staff intensity nor staff mix was a determinant of restraint use. Bathing dependency, transfer difficulties, risk for falls, frequent restlessness/agitation, and depression were independent predictors of restraint use. Patient characteristics have significant greater impact on physical restraint use than staffing levels. Therefore, improving knowledge and skills of NH staff to better deal with restlessness/agitation, mobility problems, and risk for falls is encouraged to decrease the use of physical restraints in NH residents.

[A Dutch roadmap for care without belts usage]

The use of physical restraints still is highly prevalent in institutional long term care settings for older people. We know that the use of restrictive measures, such as belt restraints, do have many negative consequences for residents, and even can be harmful to their health. However, this knowledge does not result in a reduction of physical restraints. This paper describes the search for an intervention (EXBELT) aiming to safely reduce and prevent the use of belt restraints in nursing homes. EXBELT consists of a promotion of institutional policy change that discourages use of belt restraints, nursing home staff education, availability of alternative interventions, and consultation by a nurse specialist. Effect evaluations show that EXBELT is effective on the short and long term. According to a process evaluation, EXBELT was largely performed according to protocol and very well received by nursing home staff and resident's relatives. However, concurrently it is stated that the reduction of physical restraints in Dutch nursing home care runs slowly. The conclusion is that continuing focus is needed to reduce physical restraints in nursing homes and to prevent its use in home care.

Process evaluation of a multicomponent intervention program (EXBELT) to reduce belt restraints in nursing homes

OBJECTIVE

The current study describes the process evaluation of a multicomponent intervention program (Expelling Belts [EXBELT]) to reduce the use of belt restraints in psychogeriatric nursing homes. The aim was to assess the feasibility and ascertain suggestions for optimization of the EXBELT program.

DESIGN

A descriptive study comprising longitudinal elements.

SETTING

Fifteen psychogeriatric nursing home wards in 6 Dutch nursing homes.

PARTICIPANTS

The study population consisted of 4 different groups of participants who took part in the intervention arm of the quasi-experimental study examining the effectiveness of EXBELT: nursing home staff who attended the final session of the educational program; 2 nurse specialists who delivered the educational program and did the consultations; 4 groups of delegates representing the nursing home associations where the EXBELT program was implemented; and the relatives of those residents in the intervention group who were restrained with a belt at the start of the study.

MEASUREMENTS

Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the study population. Data were assessed by means of self-administered questionnaires, recording forms, group interviews, telephone interviews, and monthly meetings.

RESULTS

The EXBELT study was largely performed according to protocol and very well received by nursing home staff as well as resident's relatives. Suggestions to improve the EXBELT program include the addition of examples of how to communicate about the policy change, improving the reach of the intended target population, adding more case-based learning strategies, and embedding the available consultants more proactively.

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of EXBELT was highly successful in the current research population and is likely to be feasible in psychogeriatric nursing homes in general.