Down with bedrails?

Abstract

Raising bedrails (cotsides) is often regarded as a benign, even essential, safety measure to prevent falls among older people in hospitals or long-stay institutions. There is also a perception that bedrails protect staff from criticism and reduce legal liability in the event of a fall from bed.1 These assumptions have been challenged for many years.2 Bedrails increase the height from which a patient can fall and hence the risk of serious injury. They restrict mobility and independence; indeed, many patients falling after a climb over bedrails have been trying to reach the toilet.