Background: This study explores whether staff perceptions and reactions to sexual situations involving one or two persons with dementia (PWD) reflect an extreme cautionary stance (an overprotective and paternalist style) or a person-centered model of care (focusing on understanding the residents' perspective and their rights).
Method: Fifty-three staff members currently working in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) were purposively selected to participate in the study. Two vignettes describing sexual situations involving PWD were presented to participants. They were asked about their interpretation of the situation and how they would react. Data were analyzed using content analysis, aimed at identifying common themes in the responses.
Results: When the sexual relationship involved a PWD and a cognitively intact resident, participants tended to define the situation as real (54.7%) or possible (35.8%) abuse, whereas when both parties had dementia it was more frequently conceptualized as a possibly abusive (39.6%) or non-abusive (37.7%) situation. The most frequent reaction to both situations was seeking the advice of other professionals.
Conclusion: The interpretation of the first situation is compatible with an extreme cautionary stance, whereas the second scenario is less clearly perceived as an example of abuse.