The unit has worked for several years to reduce coercive measures, with momentum gained from a 2017 renovation that created a person-centered environment, Region Gotland reported. The new premises aim to reduce interventions like belt restraint. The unit offers self-selected admission for certain patient groups, staff receive continuous training in low-arousal approaches, and care planning is done collaboratively with patients.
According to Region Gotland, conflicts and threatening situations have decreased. User organizations were involved in designing the premises and developing working methods. During some periods, the unit has provided care without any belt restraint, which is unusual in Swedish inpatient psychiatry.
Then we got a care environment where patients feel safe and involved, and where we can meet people earlier before situations escalate. It's about seeing the person behind the illness and constantly trying to understand what that individual needs.
Jonas Öijer, unit manager, described the approach as long-term work where staff believe in the method and keep it alive daily, according to Region Gotland. Felicia Härlin Ohlander, a psychiatric nurse, noted that small choices in the moment help patients maintain control and dignity. Marica Olofsson, a nursing assistant, said they avoid unnecessary rules and focus on dialogue and individual solutions.
There is no single solution behind the success. It's about long-term work where the entire staff believes in the approach and keeps it alive every day. We actively work together to create care that is safe, respectful, and as free from coercion as possible.