The Social Welfare Department is revising the guidelines on application of physical restraint by private elderly care-and-attention homes. The guidelines will be ready by the end of this year.

Speaking on a radio talkshow today, Assistant Director of Social Welfare Kathy Ng said the department has issued a Code of Practice for Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons).

The proposed amendments include:

* elderly homes should consider other feasible methods before using physical restraint;

* if the use of physical restraint is indispensable, care homes should choose the most comfortable form of restraint;

* care home staff should check whether those restrained feel comfortable or not on a regular basis; and,

* the use of restraint should be properly recorded.

The department is consulting the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority on the issue.

She said homes should seek consent from doctors, residents and their family before using restraint. The department will refer cases of improper restraint to the Department of Health for follow-up action.

Assistant Director of Health Chan Wai-man said staff will provide training to homes which have difficulty using physical restraint and other problems. From February 2003 to July this year, over 100 cases were referred to the department for follow-up action.