Releasing restraints: Providing safe care for the elderly

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Abstract
To examine the behavioral effects of releasing restraints and the feasibility of caring for patients considered at risk if unrestrained, two patients were continuously videotaped using surveillance cameras for 1 week with and 1 week without restraints. The videotapes were coded and analyzed using nonparametric and parametric statistics. In Patient #1, motor behavioral changes with a decrease of restless behaviors, as well as changes in sleeping position, were observed. There were no changes in verbal behavior. For Patient #2, no changes in motor or verbal behavior were observed. Nursing care showed a nonsignificant decrease in nursing care time and an increase in the number of nursing contacts. The implications of the findings and the use of videotapes as a method for collecting observational data in the clinical area are discussed.

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