Primaris Restraint Tips

Changes in musculoskeletal ability, cognitive ability and/or balance can create a fear of falling for some residents. To help residents sit and stand safely without using restraints, nursing staff should develop a comprehensive care plan to meet the resident's safety needs.

In our April restraint tip, we clarified The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) expectations for restraint use and falls, which states that falls alone are not a medical symptom and do not warrant restraint use.

We have a long history of using restraints for the 'safety' of residents to prevent falls and referring to all devices as restraints, but our knowledge has evolved to understand that restraints have potential to cause harm.

As your home attempts to reduce restraints, you may face resistance from family members. Family members often do not realize that restraints are dangerous and can cause pressure ulcers, depression, anxiety, pneumonia, constipation, loss of appetite, bladder infections, incontinent and more.