Baycrest

sexual behavior regardless of age. Administrators and staff of long- term care homes, as well as family, should anticipate sexual behaviours and be ready to respond appropriately. The KLAERU-AFP team will be assessing Baycrest's preparedness for dealing with such issues using questionnaires and focus groups. To date, KLAERU has assisted in the study design and successfully facilitated Research Ethics Board approval. In 2015, KLAERU started recruiting staff study participants, quantitative data collection, and will help conduct data analyses. KLAERU Projects Michelle Small, registered practical nurse, and Zewdi Gofar, PSW, lead clients through a series of movements in a new Gentle Fitness Class. PSYCHIATRY & CLINICAL ETHICS: BEST PRACTICES IN SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL EXPRESSION IN LONG-TERM CARE The KLAERU team is addressing a prominent issue in long-term care through its collaboration with Drs. Ken Schwartz (Psychiatric Day Hospital) and Marcia Sokolowski (Clinical Ethics) in a research study sponsored by the Alternative Funding Plans (AFP) on sexual health and intimacy. Some older adults continue to have interest in sexuality (gender identity, sexual orientation), sexual expression (e.g. in their grooming, how they dress, how they behave), and APOTEX CENTRE, JEWISH HOME FOR THE AGED: AN EVALUATION OF AN INTER-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO GENTLE FITNESS IN LONG-TERM CARE The KLAERU team is promoting inter-disciplinary translational research in a therapeutic recreation evaluation study. Mara Swartz, recreation therapist, and Kelly Rose, recreationist, developed a new fitness program that involves training personal support workers (PSWs) to facilitate exercise programs for residents on the second floor of the Apotex Centre. This provides PSWs with the opportunity to work with residents in a new way. Ms. Swartz and Ms. Rose observed the beneficial effects of this new and holistic approach to care, and were keen to obtain empirical evidence in support of these observations. The KLAERU team assisted with the design, execution, and dissemination of a qualitative research study. This entailed a Research Ethics Board application, recruitment of 33 study participants, and the training of Seneca College nursing and therapeutic recreation students to conduct interviews with residents and PSWs engaged in the gentle fitness program. KLAERU coordinated and assisted with data collection from residents and PSWs, the transcription of these interviews by Baycrest volunteers, and the analysis of the interview data. KLAERU coordinated support for the preparation of materials the therapeutic recreation team presented at the Therapeutic Recreation Ontario (TRO) Conference in June 2014 and provided manuscript support for their article, "An Interdisciplinary Team Approach to Fitness in Long-Term Care" published in February 2015 [Therapeutic Recreation: Practice & Research, Journal of Therapeutic Recreation Ontario (Vol 10: 99-115)]. April 1, 2014- March 31, 2015 ● KLAERU-PE Annual Report "The [KLAERU] team has been an enormous influence in my life. They have guided me through the research process, presentation and final paper writing of the project "Interactive Team Approach to Fitness in Long-Term Care". The project was an idea which grew and developed with amazing results. Their positive support over the course of the project including the changes and challenges within the work environment has provided a role model for me. They provided a fresh outlook on difficult situations as the Recreation team underwent major transitional change. They "CARED." They were open to ideas outside the box and worked with me towards enabling the ideas. [KLAERU] has given me the "bite" for further research within the field of Therapeutic Recreation." -Mara Swartz (Recreation Therapist, Baycrest; Gentle Fitness Study) Responding to the sexual desires of older adults in residential environments is widely recognized as a challenge by care staff, administrators, and family members. Page 3

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