Do You Believe in Restraints for Alzheimer’s Patients?

Mary Emma Allen — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 06:00:02 +0000

The use of restraints, to keep Alzheimer’s patients from wandering, getting into unsafe areas, escaping out-of-doors, raises much controversy, especially when connected with nursing home residents. There’s a balance with a fine line that separates safety from abuse in most people’s eyes.

More nursing homes and elder care agencies continually research ways to keep patients safe without severe restraints.

*The use of alarms that go off when a patient tries to get out of a wheel chair.

*Alarms that signal the opening of a door into an area where the patient may be unsafe.

*The use of a tray across a chair that might latch in place but not deter normal movement.

*The use of a half rail on the bed so the patient doesn’t roll out. I was informed, that in some cases, a full rail was considered a danger because the patient might try to climb over, whereas with a half rail they would be stopped from rolling but not restrained.

Restrain for safety, yet allowing enough freedom has become an issue in many situations. Perhaps when you see that someone in a care facility or a private home appears to be restrained more than you consider appropriate, inquire first about the reasoning before jumping to conclusions. What is safety and what is not?