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

Our goal was to determine whether bedrails could be removed safely on a geriatric rehabilitation unit. Staff attended in-services about bedrails, assessment, and possible alternatives. Residents in the study group were assessed by an interdisciplinary team, following which a determination was made about the use of bedrails or alternatives. Eighty percent of residents in the study group were free of bedrails, which suggests that bedrails can be safely removed from most short-stay nursing home rehabilitation residents.