Two older residents of a long term care facility are engaged in a romantic relationship. The residents are both cognitively intact. A nurse finds the two residents engaging in sexual activity. The response of the nurse includes which of the following? (Select all that apply.)
Explanation & Rationale
A. Provide education for the residents using the PLISSIT model: The PLISSIT model guides nurses in addressing sexual health openly and respectfully. By providing education, the nurse acknowledges the residents’ rights to intimacy and ensures that their actions are informed, consensual, and safe within the facility. B. Ignore the residents' activity: Ignoring the situation fails to uphold professional responsibility. The nurse must ensure that sexual activity is consensual, safe, and conducted with respect to privacy and facility policies. C. Inform the residents that they cannot engage in a sexual relationship while they are residents of the facility: Cognitively intact adults retain the right to consensual sexual relationships regardless of their living environment. Prohibiting such relationships would violate residents’ rights to autonomy and self-expression. D. Contact the family members of the residents in order to get consent from them: Consent for sexual activity is the right of the individuals involved, not their families. Contacting family members would breach confidentiality and the residents’ right to privacy. E. Provide a safe private area where the residents can engage in sexual activity: Supporting a private and safe environment promotes dignity, autonomy, and respect for personal relationships. Facilitating privacy demonstrates a person-centered approach that upholds residents’ rights within the care setting.