Restraints, Enablers and Safety Considerations

Planning Individualized Care and Addressing Risks – Words matter, MDS coding matters, planned clinical care matters, but what really matters is the health and safety of our residents.  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.  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has recognized the danger restraints pose to residents and has initiated national efforts to reduce the use of restraints.  This tool will help you plan individualized care and address risks associated with restraints, please view here:  http://www.primaris.org/node/1598.  The device decision guide template is available at:  http://www.primaris.org/node/1338.