This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information.
Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information.
Management: Use of Physical Restraints Among Nursing Home Residents
Nursing home residents who are restrained daily can become weak, lose their ability to go to the bathroom by themselves, and develop pressure sores or other medical complications. Restraints should only be used when they are necessary as part of the medical treatment. They should never be used to punish a resident or to make things easier for the staff. Only a doctor can order a restraint. Nursing homes are not allowed to use restraints based solely on a family's request, unless there is a documented medical need and a doctor's order.
Figure 2.22. Long-stay nursing home residents who were physically restrained, 2002-2003
[D] Select for Full Text Description.
Key: API = Asian or Pacific Islander; AI/AN = American Indian or Alaska Native.
Source: CMS Minimum Data Set, 2002-2003. Data are from the third quarter of each calendar year.
Reference population: Long-stay nursing home residents.
Note: Long-stay residents are persons in an extended/permanent nursing home stay.
Short-stay residents are persons needing skilled nursing care or rehabilitation services following a hospital stay but who are expected to return home.
- In both 2002 and 2003, the proportion of long-stay residents who were physically restrained was higher among APIs and Hispanics compared with non-Hispanic Whites (Figure 2.22).
- From 2002 to 2003, the proportion of long-stay residents who were physically restrained fell from 9.3% to 7.8%. Improvements were observed among all racial/ethnic groups.
5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 
