A Posey vest is a type of
medical restraint
Medical restraints are physical restraints used during certain medical procedures to restrain patients with (supposedly) the minimum of discomfort and pain and to prevent them from injuring themselves or others.
Rationale
There are many kinds of ...
used to restrain a
patient
A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by Health professional, healthcare professionals. The patient is most often Disease, ill or Major trauma, injured and in need of therapy, treatment by a physician, nurse, op ...
to a
bed
A bed is a piece of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax.
Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame. The mattress rests either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many beds ...
or chair. Its name comes from the
J.T. Posey Company, its inventor, though the term "Posey" is used generically to describe all such devices. The vest is placed on the patient, and meshy straps extending from each corner are tied either individually to each side of the bed or together to the back of a chair. Poseys are most often used to prevent patients from injuring themselves by falling or climbing out of the bed or chair. They allow patients the freedom to move around their arms and legs if no
limb restraint
Limb restraints can be physical (or psychological) restraints that inhibit an individual's movement in their arms or legs. The most common limb restraint is physical, whereby restraints are fixed to the individual in order to prevent movement o ...
s have been applied.
Laws in many places require Posey vests be applied with the opening at the patient's front. Misuse in which a Posey vest is applied backwards has resulted in patients being choked to death.
Many lawsuits have been litigated in which a patient has died while restrained by a Posey.
Variations
A cushion belt is a belt that does not include a vest, and simply fastens around the waist, and is tied to the sides of a bed or to a chair.
An alternate version of the Posey is a vest that is placed on with an opening in the back and a
back zipper, and straps that extend from the sides.
See also
*
Straitjacket
A straitjacket is a garment shaped like a jacket with long sleeves that surpass the tips of the wearer's fingers. Its most typical use is restraining people who may cause harm to themselves or others. Once the wearer's arms are in the sleeves, ...
References
{{Health care
Safety clothing
Physical restraint