Removal of bedrails on a short-term nursing home rehabilitation unit

Our goal was to determine whether bedrails could be removed safely on a ger iatric rehabilitation unit. Staff attended in-services about bedrails, asse ssment, and possible alternatives. Residents in the study group were assess ed by an interdisciplinary team, following which a determination was made a bout the use of bedrails or alternatives. Eighty percent of residents in th e study group were free of bedrails, which suggests that bedrails can be sa fely removed from most short-stay nursing home rehabilitation residents.