Abstract
The attitudes of care staff toward the sexuality of residents with dementia they care for are assumed to influence the residents’ expression of their sexuality. In previous research, individual factors and factors of the career of care staff were found to affect these attitudes. The effect of organizational factors, person-centered care, and the culture of the organization on the attitudes of care staff toward the sexuality of residents with dementia in residential care facilities (RCF) were not examined before. In our study care staff in different functions at six RCF organizations participated. Using a survey, information was gathered on demographics and care-staff careers, attitudes toward resident sexuality, the culture of the organization, person-centered care, and knowledge of resident sexuality. We found that care staff attitudes were positively affected by person-centered care, and marginally positively affected by a supportive culture in the organization, Moreover, knowledge of resident sexuality positively affected care staff ‘attitudes toward resident sexuality, and the presence of policy regarding resident sexuality affected them negatively. During the presentation we want to show that improving knowledge of the care staff, enhancing person-centered care and a supportive culture in the organization will improve care-staff attitudes toward resident sexuality. These insights provide a broad perspective on care staff attitudes toward resident sexuality.