Restraint in Residential Aged Care
Course Overview
Brief
This Course explores current issues surrounding the use of restraint in residential aged care settings.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the ethical and legal issues surrounding decision-making associated with the use of restraint in residential aged care
- Examine the causes of challenging behaviours in residential aged care
- Explain strategies that can be implemented as alternatives to restraint
Topics include:
- Ethical and legal issues associated with the use of restraint
- Challenging behaviours in residential aged care
- Alternatives to the use of restraint
Target audience
All healthcare professionals caring for older people, particularly those who work in residential aged care settings.
Purpose
To support decision-making by nurses working in residential aged care settings in relation to the provision of safe, quality care and the use of restraints.
Need
The use of various forms of restraint is still common in residential aged care facilities and its use remains controversial. There are associated risks and the Australian Society of Geriatric Medicine suggests that up to one in every thousand deaths in residential care may be related to the inappropriate use of restraint. However, there are more beneficent alternatives, with aged care staff not always being educated on what these are, and how they may be implemented, or on what ethical and legal implications are associated with the use of restraint.
Health professionals in Australia that are registered with AHPRA are required to obtain continuing professional development (CPD) hours/points each year that relates to their context of practice, in order to comply with mandatory regulatory requirements.
