Nursing home deficiency citations for physical restraints and restrictive side rails

West J Nurs Res. 2013 May;35(5):546-65. doi: 10.1177/0193945912437382. Epub 2012 Mar 4.

Abstract

This article examines whether nursing home facility-level characteristics are associated with the likelihood of receiving deficiency citations for physical restraints, including restrictive side rails. Data from the on-line survey certification of automated records were used to calculate odds ratios for facility-level characteristics associated with these deficiency citations. Repeat records from 2000 to 2007 were combined to produce longitudinal data. The results of this study show that restraint/side rail deficiency citations were negatively associated with higher staffing levels of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses (p ≤ .001) and higher Medicaid reimbursement rates (p ≤ .01). Citations were positively associated with greater nurse aide staffing (p ≤ .01) and higher quality-of-care deficiency citation percentiles (p ≤ .001). The extent of physical restraint and restrictive side rail misuse within nursing homes appears to vary according to various facility characteristics. It is less clear how internal processes within a facility bring about these observed patterns of variation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Medicaid
  • Nursing Homes / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Nursing Homes / standards*
  • Personnel Staffing and Scheduling
  • Quality of Health Care*
  • Restraint, Physical / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • United States