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Most Healthcare Professionals Lack Training in Elder Sexuality, Finds Study Presented at American Geriatrics Society's 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting

Seattle, WA - Most healthcare professionals, even those with considerable experience caring for older adults, lack training in elder sexuality, according to a study that will be presented here at the American Geriatrics Society's Annual Scientific Meeting tomorrow. The meeting is the premier conference on aging research.

In the study, more than 200 healthcare professionals working in a large nursing home completed questionnaires concerning sexuality in general and elder sexuality in particular.

Attitudes toward older adults' sexuality varied with the backgrounds and perspectives of the respondents, according to the researchers at New York's Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, and the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, who conducted the study.

The 47% of respondents who reported that sexuality was important in their own lives also said that sexual expression was important for the older residents for whom they cared, and that they were willing to talk to residents about sexuality. In addition, they reported that they felt "a responsibility to provide residents with opportunities to express their sexuality." In contrast, while the 57% of respondents who identified themselves as highly religious also said that sexual expression was important to elderly residents, they reported that residents' sexual activity "should not be supported by the staff."

Though nearly 60% of the professionals participating in the study had more than 10 years of experience working with older adults, 70% reported getting no formal training in elder sexuality.

"This study revealed a striking gap in the post-graduate training of health care professionals: even though the average age of these employees was between 40 and 60, with over 20 years specifically dedicated to the care of the elderly, only 30% of them had any formal training in sexuality, " said Gisele Wolf-Klein, MD, Chief of the Division of Geriatrics at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. The study was conducted under the aegis of Dr. Wolf-Klein, and Yosef Dlugacz, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief of Clinical Quality, Education & Research, at the Krasnoff Quality Management Institute at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System.

"This large study, a very unique research project in the long-term care industry, is now leading to an innovative quality management educational training program for all health care professionals in the facility, including social workers, nurses and nurses aids, physical and occupational therapists and physicians," added Wahila Alam, MD, the study's lead author and one of the six North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System geriatric fellows involved in the research.

ABOUT THE AGS

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (www.americangeriatrics.org) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of all older people. The Society supports this mission through activities in clinical practice, professional and public education, research, and public policy. With an active membership of over 6,700 health care professionals, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies, and practices in geriatric medicine.