Using participatory research to co-produce an education and training e-resource to support care home staff to meet the sexuality, intimacy and relationship needs of care home residents with and without dementia

Abstract

AimTo present the methodological approach and research methods chosen in a research study designed to enable the collaborative creation of an education and training e-resource designed to facilitate and support care home staff to address the sexuality, intimacy and relationship needs of older care home residents.DesignCo-production using community-based participatory approach.MethodsFour participatory workshops with care home staff, residents and their significant others.ResultsWorkshops 1 and 2 identified and developed real-world case scenarios related to sexuality, intimacy and relationship needs and identified care staff training needs in this area. Then workshop 3 provided valuable feedback on the prototype training e-resource, and the final workshop identified care home staff engagement with and implementation of the e-resource in practice.ConclusionThe findings provide evidence that using participatory approaches, such as co-production, to develop education and training resources in a sensitive subject area with care home residents, significant others, carers and care home staff, was a useful approach in engaging a vulnerable population group, in a sensitive area. However, this approach is not without challenges in care home communities.