Heldu Sexua (ri). Pilot project for the advancement of sexuality support for older people living in residential care homes

Sexuality is a fundamental part of our lives. Being able to live our sexuality freely, as well as being a right and a key aspect of health, is also the source of many of our life's wellbeing and pleasures. However, due to taboo and social prejudice, this dimension of our lives is often ignored and even rejected as we grow older or have support needs. As a consequence, sexuality is often excluded from most of the analysis, accompaniment and interventions we do in residential centres.

Heldu Sexua(ri) derives from the accompaniment of sexuality originated in Iza in 2020 and extended from 2021 to all the units for people with functional diversity and/or mental health problems in Matia. These processes that incorporated sexuality as one of the keys to progress for ACP served as an opening door to sexuality in Matia.

Advancing in Person-Centred Care (PCA) and accompanying people in their chosen lives and meaningful activities and routines requires rescuing sexuality from oblivion and giving it the space it deserves. Our goal is that the different Matia centres guarantee the environment and the necessary support so that all people can develop their sexuality in the most satisfactory and safe way possible according to their choice.

In order to achieve this, it is important that the people living in the different Matia centres, together with their significant others and the professionals, are the protagonists in establishing how and in what way to achieve this together with their community environment.

Methodology

The methodology combines different spaces for reflection adapted to the different support needs, with the production of actions and their testing, involving at all stages the people who live in the different Matia centres, together with their significant others and workers. All of this will be carried out in a way that is integrated into the formal and daily processes that already exist in the centres and the structure of the foundation, thus seeking the implementation of the project itself in these spaces.

The pilot project will be developed in three of the foundation's residential centres: Otezuri (Zumaia), Egurtzegi (Usurbil) and Argixao (Zumarraga). However, the impact of its work will be extended after testing the actions to all Matia centres. The work of professionals, significant people and people from the three centres mentioned above, as well as an interdisciplinary team from different areas of Matia Fundazioa will be involved in its implementation and support, as well as in its transfer to Gipuzkoa society.

General objective:

To advance the accompaniment of the sexuality of people living in residential centres.

Specific objectives:

• To progress in the development and implementation of Person-Centred Care.
• To progress and advance in the protection and guarantee of rights of people who need support from an ACP approach and methodologies, incorporating the guarantee of sexual and reproductive rights.
• Facilitate the participation of people in the analysis and decision making of key aspects of the centre and their own lives in relation to sexuality.
• Promote the involvement of families and significant others in the development of the project and the daily life of the centre.
• Advance community work, weaving networks with other agents in the local and provincial environment that can support progress in the accompaniment of sexuality.
• Accompany and train direct care professionals to favour their accompaniment of the sexuality of those who live in the centres.
• Combat social prejudices about the sexuality of older people and those in need of support, favouring a more positive collective imaginary about sexuality.
• Generate tools, processes and actions aimed at favouring the accompaniment of sexuality, which are replicable and scalable to other residential centres for the elderly.
• Contribute to a progressive process of deinstitutionalisation, in which each person is accompanied from their perception of "full life".
• To break with stereotypes that encourage ageism in society.
• To reduce the feeling of loneliness, by addressing an aspect directly related to identity, values and relationships.
• Promote the richness of diversity, highlighting the coexistence of different identities and ways of relating to the world, with equal rights.

Although the lines of work will be defined progressively on the basis of the findings of the enquiries, there are some lines of action already identified in the previous steps of the project:

• Awareness raising
• Community support network
• Tools and processes
• Complicated situations related to sexuality
• Sexual diversity
• Gender perspective
• Sexuality support

Funding

Heldu Sexua(ri) is funded by the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, in coordination with the Basque Government, to pilot innovation projects in residential centres for the elderly through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) and the Next Generation EU funds obtained at the request of the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030.