Three types of sexual expression can be distinguished: erotic, romantic, and acts of affection. The staff becomes more uneasy as the behavior becomes more intimate. Showing love and care is typically seen as cute and lovely by staff and family and will therefore be viewed as appropriate behavior. Staff members’ reactions to romantic behavior vary, but they are generally amused by it. As a result, healthcare staff usually do not get in the way of romantic behavior. However, erotic behavior is very often met with rejection and discomfort. And when the healthcare team feels uncomfortable, they tend to discuss sexual behavior as “inappropriate sexual behavior”.
However, inappropriate sexual behavior results from observers’ perceptions and is therefore highly subjective. They label the behavior as problematic, as they have limited ideas on properly framing the sexual behavior. Since most staff haven’t gotten formal training on sexuality, the results are that staff’s response is often assessed individually. This assessment demonstrates a strong correlation between reported sexual expression in senior care and staff attitudes toward sexuality. Reframing sexual expression in older adults towards a more positive attitude in staff will result in a more objective and supportive handling of sexual expression. So, please consider training staff in senior care in dealing with sexuality, so your senior care can support staff in reframing sexual behavior, to support of seniors agency and sexual health.