Releasing restraints: Providing safe care for the elderly

To examine the behavioral effects of releasing restraints and the feasibility of caring for patients considered at risk if unrestrained, two patients were continuously videotaped using surveillance cameras for 1 week with and 1 week without restraints. The videotapes were coded and analyzed using nonparametric and parametric statistics. In Patient #1, motor behavioral changes with a decrease of restless behaviors, as well as changes in sleeping position, were observed. There were no changes in verbal behavior. For Patient #2, no changes in motor or verbal behavior were observed. Nursing care showed a non-significant decrease in nursing care time and an increase in the number of nursing contacts. The implications of the findings and the use of videotapes as a method for collecting observational data in the clinical area are discussed.