Restraints used on nearly half of dementia patients admitted to hospitals in Japan, study finds
- Study concludes Japanese hospitals are going overboard in restraining dementia patients and the practice ‘may be becoming habitual’
Nearly half of people with dementia who have been admitted to hospital in Japan were physically restrained at some point to prevent them from harming themselves, according to a report published on Sunday.
The nationwide study, which was carried out last year at 3,446 hospitals and received valid responses from 937 of them, found that among 23,539 patients with or suspected of having dementia, 10,480 – 45 per cent – were physically restrained during their stay.
The joint study by the National Cancer Centre and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science said the results show hospitals are going overboard in restraining dementia patients and the practice “may be becoming habitual”.
The findings highlight practices such as binding patients to wheelchairs and indicate more studies are necessary about the appropriate way to care for the elderly in a country where the population is rapidly greying.
“We should examine the demerits of restraints including a decline in bodily functioning and the progression of dementia, and take measures to reduce unnecessary cases,” the joint study team said.
