Sexual Expression in Continuing Care
ABOUT
What is this site all about?
Sexual expression in continuing care is an often overlooked and sometimes taboo topic. This website offers a repository of current studies, digital stories, resources, and educational opportunities related to sexual expression in continuing care.
Where did this research come from?
Dr. Julia Brassolotto is an Associate Professor of Public Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Lethbridge. This website is informed by her research in the field, conducting multiple qualitative studies and producing stakeholder reports, publications, and presentations. These pieces come out of a multiphase research project funded by Dr. Brassolotto’s Alberta Innovates Research Chair. The research was conducted from 2017-2021 with Co- Principal Investigator Dr. Lisa Howard and Research Associate Dr. Alessandro Manduca-Barone.
Phase I involved interviews with continuing care managers and those with whom they consult (e.g., clinical ethicists, social workers, geriatric assessment teams, and others). We explored how managers navigate matters of resident sexual expression in the absence of related provincial policies. In Phase II, we interviewed residents and family members. We investigated how sexual expression is defined, its place in continuing care, their experiences with/thoughts about sexual expression in care homes, and suggestions for how to improve this aspect of resident life.
What's next?
Currently, we hold funding from CIHR to conduct a qualitative research project exploring sexual expression for older adults with dementia living in long-term care. This research project is being conducted with Dr. Pia Kontos and Dr. Alisa Grigorovich from Toronto and Lisa Poole from the Calgary Dementia Network Strategic Council. Phase I will consist of a comparative two-case ethnographic study of two LTC homes, one in urban Ontario and the other in rural Alberta. Phase II will focus on the development, implementation, and evaluation of a digital arts-informed toolkit. The findings of this research will be shared on this website upon completion.