Several seclusion units in Norwegian mental health care are not adapted to agitated and vulnerable patients. The facilities can be too sterile, worn down, or insecure against patient injuries. Health authorities have to a small extent followed this up.
Inappropriate facilities can lead to more noise and unrest that is challenging to manage and can lead to the use of physical measures both from patients and staff. This can increase the risk of injury for all involved. In some cases, poorly adapted facilities can lead to increased use of sedative medication, with an increased risk of patient injuries.
There are no minimum requirements for how seclusion units should be designed. Patient rooms should have robust and safe furnishings. Ukom recommends establishing a professionally justified minimum standard for the physical design of seclusion units. The minimum standard should describe how patient rooms should be furnished, for example with the use of color, furniture, and equipment. This contributes to maintaining the patient's need for safety and dignity.
This report provides recommendations to health authorities and legal institutions. Institutions in mental health care, their employees, patients, users, and relatives will also benefit from the report.
The translation from Norwegian to English is based in AI. Ukom has reviewed, edited and quality assured the translation.