Tying down mentally handicapped is a last resort, says minister

Difficult mentally handicapped patients should only be restrained from moving around as a last resort, junior health minister Marlies Veldhuijzen van Zanten told parliament in a briefing on Monday.


The minister is submitting new draft legislation to MPs which makes it clear the policy should be one of ‘no restraints unless there is no alternative’. The minister hopes it will lead to a cultural shift in the care sector.
‘Healthcare workers do not always know what the best care is in difficult cases,’ the minister said. ‘This bill gives workers clarity. Professionals only want to give the best possible care.’
The legislation follows the row last year surrounding an 18-year-old mentally handicapped youth who lived tied to the wall of his room in a care home. He was later moved to smaller unit.

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