Legal implications of restrictive physical interventions in people with dementia

Dementia care environments are now home to thousands of people who have complex mental and physical health needs. Many of these people have lost capacity or have fluctuating capacity to make decisions about their care. There can be occasions when restrictive practices are necessary in order to protect a person’s well-being and to administer necessary treatment and care. However, nurses working in care settings may not be fully aware of their rights and liabilities and those of care staff when restraint is used for therapeutic purposes. This paper seeks to address areas of uncertainty and clarify the legal responsibilities of care teams through exploring the issues raised through a case vignette.