Abstract
Practice tool is designed to help practitioners to think about supporting people's expression of intimacy and sexuality when they draw on care services in later life. It encourages practitioners to reflect on how they can contribute to a safe, respectful, and person-centred environment that is inclusive of people’s expression of intimacy and sexuality along with their diverse sexual and
gender identities. This aligns with the principles of wellbeing which are integral to the Care Act 2014. As such, it is essential to consider the implications for support in this area.
You can use this practice tool to:
> Improve awareness and professional confidence in building rapport with people when working with intimacy, sexuality and diversity in later life - in order to convey a relationship of trust, respect and dignity.
> Draw on research evidence on intimacy and sexuality in later life and consider how this informs practice when supporting people with a range of diverse identities with their intimate relationships.
> Extend practitioners’ knowledge of the key principles, policy and legislation that inform anti-discriminatory practice to combat ageism in relation to a person’s diverse intimacy and sexual needs.
> Facilitate critical reflection and reflective learning for practitioners and teams on how to develop an environment and service that provides more inclusive, person-centred support to older people and their significant others.
How can the resource help me?
This resource encompasses three tools designed to help improve practitioner knowledge and confidence for practice.
Section one, on the following page, provides a concise summary of the findings of the underpinning evidence for this review from Ageing well: Sex, intimacy and relationships in later life.
Section two on page 6 presents three tools which facilitate the improvement of knowledge, skills and values for supporting people in later life with their expression of sex, intimacy and relationships, specifically:
Tool 1 (page 6):
The use of self and one’s own sexual literacy in supporting older people in the expression of their sexual and intimacy needs, and relationships.
Tool 2 (page 10):
Developing inclusive and positive practices to support intimacy and sexuality in later life.
Tool 3 (page 16):
Working with complexity, identifying ethical dilemmas and working with mental capacity legislation.
gender identities. This aligns with the principles of wellbeing which are integral to the Care Act 2014. As such, it is essential to consider the implications for support in this area.
You can use this practice tool to:
> Improve awareness and professional confidence in building rapport with people when working with intimacy, sexuality and diversity in later life - in order to convey a relationship of trust, respect and dignity.
> Draw on research evidence on intimacy and sexuality in later life and consider how this informs practice when supporting people with a range of diverse identities with their intimate relationships.
> Extend practitioners’ knowledge of the key principles, policy and legislation that inform anti-discriminatory practice to combat ageism in relation to a person’s diverse intimacy and sexual needs.
> Facilitate critical reflection and reflective learning for practitioners and teams on how to develop an environment and service that provides more inclusive, person-centred support to older people and their significant others.
How can the resource help me?
This resource encompasses three tools designed to help improve practitioner knowledge and confidence for practice.
Section one, on the following page, provides a concise summary of the findings of the underpinning evidence for this review from Ageing well: Sex, intimacy and relationships in later life.
Section two on page 6 presents three tools which facilitate the improvement of knowledge, skills and values for supporting people in later life with their expression of sex, intimacy and relationships, specifically:
Tool 1 (page 6):
The use of self and one’s own sexual literacy in supporting older people in the expression of their sexual and intimacy needs, and relationships.
Tool 2 (page 10):
Developing inclusive and positive practices to support intimacy and sexuality in later life.
Tool 3 (page 16):
Working with complexity, identifying ethical dilemmas and working with mental capacity legislation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Totness, Devon, UK |
| Commissioning body | Research in Practice for Adults - RiPfA |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Edition | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 3 May 2023 |
Keywords
- sexuality
- intimacy
- ageing
- adult social care
- professional practice
- practice tool
