NCJ Number
145835
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: (1992) Pages: 47-58
Date Published
1992
Length
12 pages
Annotation
While restraints are usually considered an intervention of last resort, in reality, the use of restraints has become commonplace and accepted by doctors, nurses, and families. Every day, mechanical restraining devices are used on half a million Americans, including one-third of the nursing home population.
Abstract
Restraints can contribute to many health problems, both physical and mental, including circulatory problems, incontinence, pneumonia, ulcers, muscle tone loss, decreased perception, confusion and agitation, depression, and even death. The ethical dimensions involved in a discussion of the use of restraints must include basic human rights, quality of life issues, and issues of decision making. Research shows that nurses' ambivalence toward the use of restraints often leads to punitive behavior toward the patients which may violate their civil rights. The dehumanizing effect that use of restraints has on both patients and caregivers must impact on the total caring process. Finally, the 1987 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA '87) was designed to reduce dependency upon restraints. In some States, use of restraints is considered a form of elder abuse that has regulatory, civil, and even criminal implications. There has also been an increase in legal suits successfully pursued for the improper use of restraints. 25 references