Intimacy Policy between Residents in Care Homes

There are many aspects of living in an Elderly Care Home which the management, staff, residents and even the families try to overlook or brush it under the carpet.

One important aspect is, need for Intimacy. In India practically no Care Home document’s the need for personal Intimacy either in the Medical Examination Form or in the Resident Care Plan.

Surprisingly for a population size of 1.4 billion, we tend to be ignorant as to how India has become the most populous country in the world, yet we shy away from talking about such an important topic.

The need for intimacy, bonding and personal relationships do not disappear overnight, to be honest they should not also. 

Need for Intimacy is a natural phenomenon but unfortunately not many Care Homes in India tend to discuss this need with the prospective residents at the time of their admission.

I have not come across any Care Home which documents residents personal Intimacy preferences either in the Resident Occupancy Agreement or in the Care Home Rules and Policies.

Internationally, residents individual preferences, orientation and intimacy needs are seen as an important part of a resident’s well-being, but unfortunately in India we do not have such mindset yet we produce like rabbits.

Many countries have assessment tools for understanding the intimate needs of a resident and also have clear guidelines on the Do’s and Dont’s as part of the Intimate Care Policy.

The attached document “Older People in Care Homes – Intimate Relationships” by Royal College of Nursing, UK is a well drafted guide which should be read by the Care Home Management and Care Staff to understand the finer details on intimate relationships and resident’s needs (document title edited).

Document can be accessed on the website https://www.rcn.org.uk/ or downloaded here (Intimacy Policy between Residents in Care Homes) or can be read below