Curbing Use of Physical Restraints in Nursing Homes

Physical restraint use is persistent in U.S. nursing homes, despite a wide range of educational and regulatory interventions to discourage the practice. Faced with the same situation in Germany, investigators explored changing the “culture of care” as another way to curb restraint use. Thirty-six nursing homes (about 3900 residents) with physical restraint use greater than 20% were randomized to receive either a multicomponent intervention or standard educational materials. The intervention employed evidence-based recommendations that were developed specifically for the study and were focused on changing the attitudes and behaviors of staff members, patients, and family members about restraint use.

Trained, blinded investigators assessed res…