RE: Clarification on restraints

[Faye Jones]

Title: Message

Alarms-we do not consider them restraints as they do not actually stop anyone who wants to move etc.  I guess if I think about it I can stretch the point but I personally will argue it to the death (or a citation ha!!) Wanderguard- We do not consider them restraints.  Although they do cause an elevator or door to lock down per fire code all doors must release if pushed on for a period of time regardless of the bracelet and ours are like that. Our administrator just got a waiver from the fire department to increase our lock down time to 30 seconds because residents who figured out the catch were getting out anyway.   Also, there is an interesting article in the January 2004 Provider magazine that discusses elopement systems.  In the article it cites several law suits with large verdicts against facilities for not utilizing such systems to protect wanderers.  In that article it also states that state regulatory agencies can also fine a facility for failing to prevent an elopement.   -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of sheppard70057rn Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 7:48 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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 .