Page 164 - Reduction of coercive measures

The application and reduction of coercive measures is a compelling issue in the care for people with intellectual disabilities. Based on the right on self-determination, but also on the risks associated with some applications of coercive measures, there is general agreement on the need to phase out these measures. However, practice appears to be unruly. The structural phasing out of coercive measures appears to be difficult. This is partly due to the limited knowledge concerning the application of coercive measures and effective interventions to reduce these measures.
This research was based on a broad definition of coercive measures: any measure that restricts a person with intellectual disabilities in any specific situation. The results of the study are encouraging. It has shown that a multidisciplinary approach can lead to a significant reduction of coercive measures applied to persons with intellectual disabilities living in residential facilities. The research also showed that routine registration of coercive measures can be partly accurate. A reflection on the future criteria concerning the required registration as described in the Care and Coercion Act (‘Wet zorg en dwang’) shows that this will not necessarily lead to a reliable and uniform registration. In addition, the study has obtained information on the application of coercive measures and associated factors.
ISBN/EAN: 978-94-6332-467-0