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| Study | Country | Field of study | Aim | Design | Methodology | Participants | Key findings |
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| Bouman et al. [57] | UK | Medicine | To investigate the attitudes of staff in residential care towards residents’ sexuality | Survey using attitude scale (ASKAS) | NA | 222 female staff and 12 male staff (N = 234) | The average ASKAS score was 60, showing moderately positive attitudes towards residents’ sexuality. Limited experience predicted negative attitudes, while older age was associated with more positive views |
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| Gewirtz-Meydan et al. [58] | Israel | Social work and health sciences | Develop the discomfort in discussing sexual issues, a scale for assessing discomfort among staff when discussing sexual issues | Survey | NA | 127 staff (76% women) | Less knowledge, lower education, and less permissive attitudes were correlated with higher discomfort. The study identified moderate to high discomfort when discussing sexual matters with older adults |
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| Gilmer et al. [35] | New Zealand | Nursing | Identify factors influencing staff assessment and management of residents’ sexuality | Survey | NA | 52 staff (96% women) | Most believe residents have sexual needs, but addressing sexuality often creates discomfort. These needs are not regularly assessed or managed as a team |
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| Jen et al. [37] | USA | Social work | Provide an assessment of sexual expressions, staff reactions, practices, and policies related to residents sexuality | Mixed method survey | NA | 60 staff administrators (61.7% women) | Among 60 administrators, 84% observed sexual expression among residents in the past year. Seventy percent believed staff would treat residents with dignity, while 40% anticipated staff discomfort. Around 40% had policies on sexual expression |
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| Lester et al. [59] | USA | Medicine | Identify residential aged care standards related to sexual activity | Survey | NA | 366 director of nursing (DONs) | The vast majority (71.2%) indicated that there had been issues regarding residents’ sexuality. 12.4% still require family to approve sexual activity |
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| Mahieu et al. [13] | Belgium | Nursing | Explore staff attitudes on residents’ sexuality, demographic influences, and knowledge-attitude links | Survey | NA | 116 nursing staff (92.5% women) | Staff had moderate knowledge and positive attitudes towards older people’s sexuality. Several variables were related, and higher knowledge corresponded to more positive attitudes |
| McAuliffe et al. [60] | Australia | Health science | Investigate if, when and how assessments regarding residents’ sexual health occur within residential aged care facilities | Survey | | 1094 senior staff (90.7% women) | Sexual health and needs are not routinely assessed in residential aged care. When assessments do occur, it is more often than not in the context of disruptive sexual behaviour |
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| Mroczek et al. [18] | Poland | Medicine | Analyse the psychosexual needs of nursing care home residents in Poland | Face-to-face survey | NA | 86 residents mean age 72.2 | Residents, regardless of their health, education, age, gender, and marital status, identified psychosexual needs as crucial for their quality of life |
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| Schouten et al. [50] | New Zealand | Psychology | Investigate staff’s attitudes towards residents’ sexuality | Survey | NA | 433 staff | A majority (64.9%) agreed that pleasurable touch in intimate relationships is a lifelong human right. Nearly half (49.9%) believed facilities should provide private spaces for sexual activity |
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| Villar et al. [61] | Spain | Social work | Investigate staff perceptions of residents’ sexual needs and ideas for improving care related to sexual issues | Survey | NA | 2115 staff (87% women) | Many participants did not recognize sexual needs in residents, while more experienced participants were more likely to acknowledge these needs |
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| Villar et al. [62] | Spain | Psychology | Explore which kinds of residents’ sexual expressions cause the most discomfort to staff | Survey | NA | 1895 staff (86.6% women) | Most participants were able to mention at least one sexual situation that had caused them discomfort, which suggests that sexual situations represent a challenge for staff |
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