Die Entfesselung der Alten. Bettgitter in den Sicherheitsdispositiven der Pflege

Abstract

The use of in hospitals nursing homes has been a subject of controversy for decades. However, analysis of the literature about bedrails reveals that the issue of use and misuse of mechanical restraints via bedrails is very complex and cannot be explained by indi-vidual factors. It involves several actors in addition to patients: nurses, hospital administration, relatives, doctors, insurance companies, manufacturers, lawyers, and so on. After years of criticism and many injured patients, bedrails are still in common use in hospitals and nursing homes. Consequently, I argue that bedrails are more than just poorly designed, mundane objects; they are integral components of the “apparatus of security” (Foucault): Besides pre-venting people from falling out of bed – which they may or may not do – they secure specific circulations, such as movements of people and things, in hospital and nursing home settings. maßgeblichen aufgenommen