1. DETERMINING THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND ATTITUDES OF NURSING HOME PROFESSIONALS IN DEALING WITH THE SEXUALITY OF THEIR RESIDENTS
- Author
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House, Morgan Eliese, Allison, Barbara N., Alexander, Karen L., Keller, Michael J., and Spears, Evans H.
- Subjects
Long-Term Care, Sexuality, Family and Consumer Sciences Education - Abstract
The United States population is described as an aging population. Long-term care facilities are one element in the healthcare continuum that will be affected the most by this aging of U.S. residents. The decision to place a parent or loved one in a nursing home is a major decision that families must make, as the responsibility for the care of their family members is then placed on the staff employed by the nursing home. The nursing home administrators, director of nursing, and the social services director are supervisory team members in long-term care facilities. Forty-two of these nursing home professionals, in one county in Texas, completed a survey. The survey consisted of questions regarding current policies, practices, attitudes, and educational opportunities offered in long-term care facilities. The participants also offered suggestions, through a series of open-ended questions, which ultimately may have a positive impact on the future of nursing homes. Based on the responses of the participants in this study, staff training and education about sexuality is lacking, particularly during the hiring process and new employee orientation. Furthermore, respondents indicated a desire for in-service training and education regarding issues of resident sexuality. Finally, this study found that there is a strong need for policies and procedures to assist staff members when dealing with the sexuality of their residents. In-service trainings can be used to introduce new policies and educate staff on the importance of policies with regard to sexual expression among the residents within a nursing home. The focus of training and education reported in this study falls within one of the many realms of family and consumer sciences education which includes areas such as human development, personal and family finance, housing and interior design, food science, nutrition and wellness, and textiles and apparel. By applying the results of this study to implement and improve training and education, FCS professionals involved in healthcare education and promotion can be more aware of the needs of an older population. Additionally, during training, presentations, or counseling, professionals may be able to apply or suggest interventions to change beliefs, which in turn have the potential to create behavioral change.
- Published
- 2018