Objective: Physical restraints and neuroleptics are commonly used in the care of older persons, especially those suffering from dementia. The aim of this study was to explain why there is such a variation in the use of physical restraints and neuroleptics when comparing different settings.
Design: A cross sectional study with a multi-factorial approach
Materials and Methods: A total of 540 residents, 529 staff memebers living or working in 33 nursing homes, and 12 group dwellings for persons with dementia were included. Data regarding residents and staff characteristics and organizational as well as environmental variables, were collected by means of questionnaires, observations, rating scales, and blueprints.
Results: The proportion of residents with impaired mobility functions, behavioral disturbances, and the staff's attitudes towards use of restraints were the strongest disciminators between restraint-free, low use and high use wards. With these variables, 64 percent of all wards were correctly classified. In a similar way, use of neuroleptics was also related to patient characteristics but also the ward atmosphere and the staff's degree of job satisfaction.
Conclusion: The study has shown that the variations in the use of neuroleptics and physical restraints not only varies in relation to patient characteristics but also to staff charactersitics.
Back to PB Tuesday Poster Sessions
Back to The Eleventh International Congress