Overcoming restraint use: examining barriers in Australian aged care facilities.
The purpose of this article is to discuss the outcomes of a project that sought to identify alternatives to restraint use in aged care facilities. (In Australia, the term aged care facility refers to those facilities previously known as hostels and nursing homes.) A literature review was conducted and discussion forums and individual interviews were held with interested stakeholders in Australian capital cities, as well as in a rural city in each state. Site visits were conducted at 16 aged care facilities. Participants identified legal concerns, existing organizational culture, and lack of alternatives as barriers to implementing restraint-minimization practices. Recommendations to facilitate minimal restraint are implementing national policy guidelines, adopting a best practice philosophy in relation to restraint minimization, continuing staff education related to alternatives, and maintaining constant communication with families.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australian.
Rhonda
R
Nay
Susan
S
Koch
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D019985:Benchmarking; D003142:Communication; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D016134:Organizational Policy; D018579:Patient Selection; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires