Seniors Should Get Help Watching Porn and Using Sex Toys, Royal College of Nursing Guide Says
A new guidebook for elder care nurses in the United Kingdom, issued by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), offers guidelines for caregivers to deal with what it called the “taboo subject” of sexuality among senior citizens living in nursing homes. The guidebook, titled Older People in Care Homes: Sex, Sexuality and Intimate Relationships, notes in its introduction that “sexuality remains a fundamental aspect of being human throughout life. It encompasses gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, intimacy, sexual expression and sexual acts.”
Understanding Sexuality in Elder Care
According to the guidebook, nurses in elder care facilities encounter the thorny issue of senior sexuality more frequently than is generally understood. The RCN suggests that senior citizens in care homes should be permitted to pursue their own sexual interests and fetishes, noting that advanced age does not necessarily diminish the “strong desire” for their usual sexual practices. These practices may include:
- Viewing online porn and using sex toys for masturbation—without violating the privacy or personal space of other care home residents.
- Sexual expression which might include cross dressing and sadomasochism.
Case Studies on Resident Sexual Rights
The Royal College of Nursing guide recounts several examples of difficult situations encountered by caregivers in facilities to illustrate how rights and responsibilities should be balanced:
- Physical Assistance and Devices: Jefferson, a resident who lives with multiple disabilities and is physically unable to care for himself, asks his key carer to assist him with masturbation. Although facility staff felt “ill-equipped” to provide the help and worried about violating sexual offense laws, it was determined that the principles of sexual rights would support his right to fulfilling sexual activity. Following expert advice, mechanical assistive devices that individuals use themselves were procured.
- Access to Adult Material: A resident who told staff he wanted to watch porn on his laptop computer was told he would be permitted to do so, on the condition that he used headphones and viewed the adult material in a way that no other residents or staff would inadvertently see it.
- Human Rights and Services: In another case study, a nursing home resident demanded that he be allowed to procure a prostitute. Facility staff decided that to prevent the resident from employing a prostitute to meet his sexual needs would be a violation of his human rights.
Maintaining Independence and Choice
“Just because people live in a care home doesn't mean they lose the same rights, choices and responsibilities they once enjoyed in their home,” RCN spokesperson Dawne Garrett said. The guidebook reinforces that staff should help residents maintain their usual sexual practices while ensuring they do not violate the privacy of others. The exact nature of any “mechanical devices” used to assist residents was not specified in the guide, but the focus remains on supporting individual autonomy.