Preventing the use of physical restraints on residents newly admitted to psycho-geriatric nursing home wards: a cluster-randomized trial. A cluster-randomized trial of an educational intervention to reduce the use of physical restraints with psychogeriatric nursing home residents. Effects of a restraint minimization program on staff knowledge, attitudes, and practice: a cluster randomized trial. The effect of staff training on the use of restraint in dementia: a single-blind randomised controlled trial. The effect of staff training on agitation and use of restraint in nursing home residents with dementia: a single-blind, randomized controlled trial. A clinical trial to reduce restraints in nursing homes.
Although there is an urgent need for restraint-free care, the number of randomized clinical trials on preventing or reducing physical restraints has been limited.
                To investigate the effectiveness of an educational intervention to prevent the use of physical restraints on residents newly admitted to psycho-geriatric nursing home wards.
                Cluster-randomized trial.
                Fourteen Dutch psycho-geriatric nursing home wards.
                138 residents admitted to 14 psycho-geriatric nursing home wards after baseline measurement of the trial were selected, out of which 33 residents died or informed consent had not been obtained. A total of 105 residents were included in the analyses.
                The nursing home wards were randomly assigned to either educational intervention or control status. The educational intervention consisted of an educational programme for nurses combined with a nurse specialist's consultation. The data were collected at 1, 4 and 8 months post-intervention. The use of physical restraints was measured by blinded, trained observers on four separate occasions over a 24-h period. The Minimum Data Set was used to determine residents' characteristics, such as their cognitive status.
                During the study period, no statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group regarding restraint status, restraint intensity, multiple restraints and types of restraints were found. One month post-intervention, 38% of the residents newly admitted to the experimental wards were restrained. Bilateral bedrails were the most frequently used restraints at Post-test 1 (24%), Post-test 2 (23%) and Post-test 3 (28%), followed by the use of infrared systems at Post-tests 2 and 3.
                An educational programme combined with the consultation of a nurse specialist does not prevent the use of physical restraints on residents newly admitted to psycho-geriatric nursing home wards. Although other studies have shown promising results with the effectiveness of these types of intervention on restraint reduction, the development of additional interventions to prevent restraint usage is recommended. To investigate the effects of an educational intervention on the use of physical restraints with psychogeriatric nursing home residents.
                Cluster-randomized trial.
                Fifteen psychogeriatric nursing home wards in the Netherlands.
                In total, 432 psychogeriatric nursing home residents from 15 psychogeriatric nursing home wards in seven nursing homes were selected for participation; 404 consented, and 371 of these were available at baseline. Two hundred forty-one from 14 wards had complete data and were included in the data analyses.
                The nursing home wards were assigned at random to educational intervention or control status. The educational intervention consisted of an educational program for nursing staff combined with consultation with a nurse specialist (registered nurse (RN) level).
                Data were collected at baseline and 1, 4, and 8 months postintervention. At each measurement, the use of physical restraints was measured using observations of blinded, trained observers on four separate occasions over a 24-hour period. Other resident characteristics, such as cognitive status, were determined using the Minimum Data Set.
                Logistic and linear regression analyses showed no treatment effect on restraint status, restraint intensity, or multiple restraint use in any of the three postintervention measurements. Furthermore, only small changes occurred in the types of restraints used with residents in the experimental group.
                An educational program for nursing staff combined with consultation with a nurse specialist (RN level) had no effect on the use of physical restraints with psychogeriatric nursing home residents. In addition to restraint education and consultation, new measures to reduce the use of physical restraints with psychogeriatric nursing home residents should be developed. To evaluate the effects of a restraint minimization education program on staff knowledge and attitudes and use of physical restraints.
                Cluster-randomized controlled trial with nursing units as the basis for randomization.
                Forty group dwelling units for people with dementia.
                At baseline, there were 184 staff and 191 residents in the intervention group and 162 staff and 162 residents in the control group. At the 6-month follow-up, there were 156 staff and 185 residents (36 newly admitted) in the intervention group and 133 staff and 165 residents (26 newly admitted) in the control group.
                A 6-month education program for all nursing staff.
                Staff knowledge and attitudes and physical restraint use were measured before and after the education program.
                In the intervention group, staff knowledge about and attitudes toward restraint use changed, and the overall use of physical restraints decreased. A comparison including only residents present during the whole study period showed that the level of use was similar between the groups at baseline, whereas it was significantly lower in the intervention group at follow-up. Adjusted analyses showed that the odds of being restrained at follow-up were lower in the intervention group than in the control group. There was no significant change in the number of falls or use of psychoactive medication.
                The results indicate that staff education can increase knowledge, change attitudes, and reduce the use of physical restraints without any change in the incidence of falls or use of psychoactive drugs. Use of restraint amongst institutionalised elderly with dementia and problem behaviour not only remains widespread, but also appears to be accepted as inevitable.
                The aim of this study was to reduce problem behaviour and the use of restraint in demented patients using a staff training program as intervention.
                The study was a randomised single-blind controlled trial and took place in Stavanger, Norway. Four nursing homes were randomised to a control or an intervention group after stratification for size. The intervention consisted of a full day seminar, followed by a one-hour session of guidance per month over six months. The content of the educational program focused on the decision making process in the use of restraint and alternatives to restraint consistent with professional practice and quality care. The primary outcome measures were number of restraints per patient in the nursing homes in one week and agitation as measured with the Brief Agitation Rating Scale (BARS). These were rated before and immediately after the intervention was completed. The assessments were performed blind to design and randomisation group.
                Clinical and demographic variables did not differ between the intervention and control groups at baseline. After the intervention period, the number of restraints had declined by 54% in the treatment group, and increased by 18% in the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( p = 0.013). There was a trend towards higher BARS score in the intervention compared to the control group at follow up ( p = 0.052).
                Although the level of agitated behaviour remained unchanged or increased slightly, the educational program led to a significant reduction of the use of restraint in institutionalised elderly with dementia. These results suggest that educational programs can improve the quality of care of people with dementia.
                Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Agitation is common in dementia and is associated with use of restraints and use of psychotropic drugs. The aim of this study was to determine whether an education and supervision intervention could reduce agitation and the use of restraints and antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes.
                Four Norwegian nursing homes were randomly allocated to receive either treatment as usual or an intervention consisting of a 2-day educational seminar and monthly group guidance for 6 months. One hundred forty-five residents with dementia (based on medical records and corroborated with a Functional Assessment Staging score >or= 4) completed baseline and 6-month intervention assessments and were included in the analyses. The co-primary outcome measures were the proportion of residents subject to interactional restraint and the severity of agitation using the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI). Patients were assessed at baseline, immediately after completion of the intervention at 6 months, and 12 months after baseline. Comparison of change in the 2 groups was made using repeated-measures analysis of variance (CMAI) and Mann-Whitney test (restraints). The study was conducted from 2003 to 2004.
                The proportion of residents starting new restraint was lower in the intervention than in the control group at 6-month evaluation (P = .02), but no statistically significant differences were found at 12-month assessment (P = .57). The total CMAI score declined from baseline to 6 and 12 months' follow-up in the intervention homes compared to a small increase in the control homes (F2,176 = 3.46, P = .034). There were no statistically significant differences in use of antipsychotic drugs.
                A brief 2-day staff education program followed by continued monthly guidance was able both to improve quality of care by reducing the frequency of interactional restraints and to reduce severity of agitation.
                ©Copyright 2010 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc. To investigate the relative effects of two experimental interventions on the use of physical restraints.
                Prospective 12-month clinical trial in which three nursing homes were randomly assigned to restraint education (RE), restraint education-with-consultation (REC), or control (C).
                Three voluntary nursing homes in the Philadelphia area providing both skilled and intermediate care.
                A total of 643 nursing home residents over the age of 60 were enrolled at baseline, and 463 remained to completion (1 year).
                Both RE and REC homes received intensive education by a masters-prepared gerontologic nurse to increase staff awareness of restraint hazards and knowledge about assessing and managing resident behaviors likely to lead to use of restraints. In addition, the REC home received 12 hours per week of unit-based nursing consultation to facilitate restraint reduction in residents with more complex conditions.
                Restraint status was observed systematically at baseline, immediately after the 6-month intervention, and again at 9 and 12 months. Staff levels, psychoactive drug use, and injuries were also determined.
                Compared with baseline, the REC home had a statistically significant reduction in restraint prevalence, whereas RE and C homes did not. At 9 months (3 months post-intervention), absolute decline in the percents restrained were 7% RE, 7% C, and 20% REC; at 12 months (6 months post-intervention) declines were 4% RE, 6% C, and 18% REC. However, relative to baseline, these declines represent an average reduction in restraint use of 23% RE, 11% C, and 56% REC. The differences in changes over time were consistently significant (P = .01), whether considering survivors or those present at each time point, and also when controlling for differences between groups at baseline. Further, given any change in restraint use, REC-residents were between 25% and 40% more likely than either RE or C residents to experience decreased restraint use. Results were achieved without increased staff, psychoactive drugs, or serious fall-related injuries.
                A 6-month-long educational program combined with unit-based, resident-centered consultation can reduce use of physical restraints in nursing homes effectively and safely. Whether extending the intervention will achieve greater reduction is not known from these results.
There is insufficient evidence supporting the effectiveness of educational interventions targeting nursing staff for preventing or reducing the use of physical restraints in geriatric long-term care.