Developing An Online Course To Increase Staff Awareness And Responses To Unwanted And Illegal Sexual Behaviour Perpetrated Against Older People

Abstract

Background The idea that older people can be victims of unwanted sexual behaviour or sexual assault in health and social care settings is relatively recent. In the Irish context, 165 reports of sexual abuse of older people were made to the HSE National Safeguarding and Protection teams in 2022. The prevalence of sexual abuse against older people in health and social care settings is poorly understood and there is an acknowledgement that hospital staff require additional training to understand and manage incidents. Methods In response to the need for training and support for staff, an online awareness-raising course based on a pre-developed course from Australia ‘Preventing unwanted sexual behaviour against older people in health and social care settings’ will be adapted, trialled and tested in a large acute teaching hospital. This course sets out to support acute care staff to identify and manage incidents of sexualised behaviour, to seek expert help and to ensure that older people are protected from unwanted and at times, what may constitute illegal sexual behaviour. Results The adapted course ‘Understanding and Responding to Unwanted or Illegal Sexual Behaviour Perpetrated against Older People in Health and Social Care Settings’ utilises a trauma-informed lens and key themes covered include defining unwanted sexual behaviours, understanding older people and sexual behaviour, risk factors for sexual abuse, barriers to recognising and reporting abuse and managing incidents. Conclusion The ‘trial and test’ will involve a feedback survey (N=50 respondents) and focus groups with participating healthcare professionals from the hospital site informing further refinement of the course content in preparation for wider rollout and implementation across Ireland's health and social care settings.