The need for intimacy and sexual expression does not disappear after an injury or fade with old age, but for the thousands of British Columbians who live in care facilities across the province, it certainly gets more complicated.
There are many ethical, moral and legal quandaries for health care workers when their clients want to express their sexuality. What are a client’s rights, a health care worker’s responsibilities, and what if these go beyond someone’s comfort zone?
These are complicated questions that nurses and health clinicians deal with each day, and for a long time, they were navigating them alone.
Fortunately, there is now a short Reference Guide clinicians can turn to for guidance. Written by clinical, ethical and legal experts, it’s called, “Supporting Sexual Health and Intimacy in Care Facilities: A Pocket Reference Guide”. It was first published in 2013 and was updated in 2023.