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Abstract: 

The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, which was included as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA), implemented stricter controls on the use of physical restraints in nursing homes. Physical restraints can be used inappropriately in ways that demean and endanger older and disabled residents in long- term care facilities. Consequently, OBRA requires that restraints be used only with a physician’s order outlining the duration and circumstances under which the restraints are to be used. Further, OBRA mandates that physical restraints may only be used to ensure the physical safety of the restrained resident or others. The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Organizations (JCAHO), a nonprofit organization that creates standards for healthcare organizations and certifies organizations that are in compliance with those standards, released physical restraint standards in 1997. This article summarizes three articles that analyze the continued use of physical restraints since the passage of the OBRA requirements.

Keywords: Use in Nursing Homes: The Impact of the Nursing Home Reform Risk Factors for Physical Restraint Act, Selcuk R. Sirin, Nicholas G. Castle, and Michael Smyer, 24 Res. on Aging 513 (Sept. 2002); Physical Restraints in Nursing Homes: An Analysis of Quali

Affiliations:  1: University of Kansas.