Understanding Sexual Safety in Residential Aged Care: A Workforce Perspective

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nursing
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Residential aged care facilities (RACFs) must ensure residents' sexual safety and protection from sexual harm.
• Vulnerable residents in aged care settings face risks due to potential sexual safety breaches.
• Aged care workers play a vital role in safeguarding residents' sexual safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore aged care workers' perspectives on resident sexual safety.
• To understand aged care workers' experiences with sexual safety in RACFs.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study utilizing semistructured interviews.
• 22 participants (14 nurses, 8 personal care workers) from Australian RACFs.
• Thematic analysis of collected data.

Main Results:

• Identified themes include: perspectives on sexual safety, dimensions of sexual vulnerability, challenges in identification and escalation of incidents, and barriers to building sexual safety.
• Findings revealed significant gaps in sexual safety knowledge, reporting practices, and workforce preparedness.
• Cultural and personal backgrounds influence perceptions and responses to sexual safety incidents.

Conclusions:

• Strengthening leadership, providing tailored sexual safety education, and establishing clear reporting pathways are essential.
• Prioritizing sexual safety education and improving organizational reporting systems are recommended for nursing management.
• Fostering consistent reporting and upholding residents' sexual autonomy can create safer aged care environments.