Re: Clarification on restraints

Fri, 09 Jan 2004 08:03:13 -0800

Title: Message
Does the device restrict freedom of movement or of normal access to the wearer's body? If not, it is not a restraint.
 
 
Holly F. Sox, RN, RAC-C
Clinical Editor
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 7:47 AM
Subject: Fw: Clarification on restraints

 
Dawn Sheppard, RN, CRNAC
----- Original Message -----
 

2 areas come up frequently as a question that I cannot find on the CMS site-

   

1. chair alarms and bed alarms- are they restraints? we heard at an MDS seminar in Texas that a resident who gets conditioned to the sound of the alarm and sat back down when the alarm sounded-we would have to code as a restraint-

 

2. wander guard bracelets-are they restraints? although the resident is free to move within the facility- it does prevent them from leaving-so how would we code those?

 

 

 

 

Here are two questions that have been posed to me.  The first one I would not believe it is a restraint but the second one gets you wondering.  Here is the thing:  IN the definition in the RAI manual about restraints it states "restricts freedom of movement".   What is freedom of movement?  Because technically a wanderguard would restrict freedom of movement from inside to the outside.  But if you are saying freedom of movement of their body then no it does not restrict that.  BUT if that is what it means thenit brings you to siderails.  Siderails just restrict  movement from one surface to the next, they do not restrict the resident's freedom of movement of their body. 

 

Any comments are greatly apppreciated.

 

Dawn .

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