TY - JOUR
T1 - Sexuality in residential aged care : a survey of perceptions and policies in Australian nursing homes
AU - Shuttleworth, Russell
AU - Russell, Cherry
AU - Weerakoon, Patricia
AU - Dune, Tinashe
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with nursing managers from 198 randomly selected residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, Australia to gather information about how they perceive and respond to the sexual expression of elderly residents, particularly in relation to policy and training. Participants expressed positive views about the rights of residents for sexual expression but few facilities had any formal policies or training programs in place. Managers identified a range of sexuality-related issues as sources of concern in their day to day operation, however, these tended to be dealt with in an informal and ad hoc way. The lack of policy guidelines and training in this area leads to inconsistent and uncertain practice, with negative implications for the sexual health of residents and the smooth functioning of facilities. A national level approach to policy development is indicated.
AB - Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with nursing managers from 198 randomly selected residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, Australia to gather information about how they perceive and respond to the sexual expression of elderly residents, particularly in relation to policy and training. Participants expressed positive views about the rights of residents for sexual expression but few facilities had any formal policies or training programs in place. Managers identified a range of sexuality-related issues as sources of concern in their day to day operation, however, these tended to be dealt with in an informal and ad hoc way. The lack of policy guidelines and training in this area leads to inconsistent and uncertain practice, with negative implications for the sexual health of residents and the smooth functioning of facilities. A national level approach to policy development is indicated.
UR - http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/529040
U2 - 10.1007/s11195-010-9164-6
DO - 10.1007/s11195-010-9164-6
M3 - Article
SN - 0146-1044
VL - 28
SP - 187
EP - 194
JO - Sexuality and Disability
JF - Sexuality and Disability
IS - 3
ER -