Staff Knowledge and Perceptions of Sexuality and Dementia of Older Adults in Nursing Homes

OBJECTIVES: Adults hold negative attitudes toward sexual expression in late life. We investigated knowledge and attitudes about older adult sexuality and dementia among staff in nursing homes (NHs). METHOD: We acquired staff demographics, knowledge of dementia and sexuality, and attitudes of sexuality. Staff participated in focus groups and received continuing education credit. RESULTS: The three NHs had an average census of 178 beds. Participants' (N=100) mean age was 38.53. The most common type of sexual contact reported was nondemented male with nondemented female (67.5%), followed by demented male with demented female (53.6%). Participants endorsed neutral attitudes about late-life sexuality. Focus groups revealed a need for more training and effective interventions to balance resident safety and autonomy. DISCUSSION: Staffs' knowledge of sexuality and dementia, desire for guidance in "managing" sexual expression, and neutral attitudes toward late-life sexuality supports the need for educational interventions on sexuality and dementia in NH.