**Apologies for cross-posting***
There is a lack of research, policy and guidance in relation to the challenges and issues faced by practitioners and professionals who work with people who have dementia and are sexually active, with the law unhelpful in the contradictory demands of the 2003 Sexual Offences Act and the 2005 Mental Capacity Act.
This project looks at the problems of 'consent and lack of capacity' in older, intellectually disabled or mentally ill people, and how they, their partners and families and professionals, care workers and statutory and voluntary agencies deal with the problem of sex where consent is unreliable or inconsistent. This phase of the project examines these issues in relation to individuals with dementia. This is an important topic, as it is estimated 850,000 people in the UK have dementia (Alzheimers, 2014) and research suggests many people with dementia either continue, or commence, sexual relationships. Moreover, dementia can increase a person’s interest in sex and reduce a person's inhibitions.
The project uses a number of mediums to gather data, with the intention of providing an authoritative picture of the sort of problems that arise for professionals, workers and their managers. It would consist of encouraging staff of all three categories to:
• undertake an online survey
• participate in a set of interviews
• participate in a set of focus groups
The survey is now live and we are seeking responses from practitioners/professionals working in any capacity with people who have dementia. https://edgehill.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/dementia-consent-survey
We are also seeking participants for short telephone or face-to-face interviews and/or focus groups to examine the issues in more detail. Please email Hannah Bows ([log in to unmask]) or tweet me @Hannah_Bows for more information.
I would be very grateful if you could also circulate this around relevant networks.
Many thanks,
Hannah Bows
Research Assistant
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