What is a Restrictive Practice? A guide for
families and care providers
In aged care and disability services, keeping people safe is a top priority; but it must always be balanced with dignity, choice, and human rights. Sometimes, to prevent serious harm, care providers may use what’s known as a restrictive practice. This refers to any action or intervention that limits a person’s freedom of movement, decision-making, or access to parts of their environment.
While restrictive practices may sometimes be necessary for safety, they are highly regulated because they have a significant impact on a person’s autonomy and wellbeing. Under both the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and the Aged Care Quality Standards, providers are required to follow strict rules about when and how restrictive practices can be used and they must always be a last resort.
Common types of Restrictive Practices
Here are some examples of restrictive practices in real-world care settings:
- Physical restraint: Holding a person’s arms or body to stop them from hitting themselves or others, or using bed rails to stop someone from getting out of bed unassisted.
- Chemical restraint: Giving medication not for a diagnosed medical condition, but to sedate or calm a person’s behaviour - for example, using antipsychotics to manage agitation in dementia when other strategies haven’t worked.
- Mechanical restraint: Using devices like lap belts, mittens, or chairs with fixed trays to prevent someone from moving freely.
- Environmental restraint: Locking a door to stop a person from leaving a building, or restricting access to certain rooms or items (like the kitchen or sharp tools) without the person’s consent.
- Seclusion: Isolating someone in a room or space and preventing them from leaving, often used in extreme behavioural situations.
Restrictive practices in both NDIS and aged care must be clearly documented, regularly reviewed, and used only as a last resort, with proper authorisation, consultation, and a clear plan to reduce or eliminate their use over time.
Why this matters
Restrictive practices should never be used for convenience, discipline, or as a way to compensate for understaffing or poor support planning. They must always be proportionate, time-limited, and used only when absolutely necessary. For example, if a person with dementia is wandering and at risk of walking into traffic, a locked gate might be considered; but only after trying safer alternatives like sensor alerts or regular supervision.
The ultimate aim is to protect the person’s rights, independence, and quality of life, even in challenging circumstances.
What families and carers should know
If your loved one is receiving care through an NDIS provider or in a residential aged care facility, you have a right to ask:
- Is a restrictive practice being used?
- Has it been approved and documented correctly?
- Are there plans to reduce or phase it out?
Good care providers will be transparent about their approach and involve you in decision-making. If you're concerned, you can raise the issue with the service provider, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, or the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
Restrictive practices are not just clinical decision, they are ethical ones. With the right training, behaviour support planning, and person-centred care, many restrictive practices can be avoided entirely. Empowering individuals while keeping them safe is not only possible - it’s expected.
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