State required sexual aide for longterm care resident.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

Heard this one from a co-worker this weekend. She worked for a long term facility at one time. An old woman with dementia had been found to have used her little statuette of praying hands as a self stimulatory sexual object, which had to be extracted from her nether region orafice. This caused some tissue damage of some sort.

This nurse told me that the state investigator then required the facility to obtain a vibrator in order to more appropriately and safely meet the needs of the afore mentioned resident. The nurse told me that she was assigned the embarrassing task of purchasing said item from a certain type of specialty shop which dealt in such objects. The resident did have the object, but it ultimately ended up disappearing mysteriously from her room, without a trace.

I kid you not

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

I see I left the 'R' off of 'Resident'...

[Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN]

Oh My God, I find that so hard to imagine but then again we are to provide privacy to the residents as if this was their own private home, but I believe the family should have purchased the said item not the Nursing staff.

[lotus32]

I hate to say it, but sex is on the first rung of Maslow's Hierarchy and this woman very obviously needed some needs met. I can't say I would be comfortable buying a sexual assitive device (is that the proper way to say it?) though.

Just when you thought nothing could shock you anymore.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

Aw, bless her heart. I hope they replaced it.

[justme1972]

There was no reason a staff member should have been told to purchase the device....that is why the internet exists.

If this woman has "sexual needs" that go so far that she is harming herself, then that isn't normal...that is a sign of a sex drive gone out of control.

[Noryn]

Ok so if she had dementia, then she would know what a vibrator is and what it is used for? I just dont see how she would distinguish this from any other object.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

I really don't think it's that big of a deal.

[Bocephus71RN-BSN, BSN, RN]

maybe she was just wanting to put the statue in a safe place so it wouldn't get stolen?

[jolleygirl]

I did encounter the same issue once. The female pt. was always rubbing herself with the little stuffed animals, when her care plan was done it was addressed and someone purchased the little toy for her. I understand the normal urges and all but guess whos job it was to keep the vibrator clean!! the nurse/cna.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

If this woman has "sexual needs" that go so far that she is harming herself, then that isn't normal...that is a sign of a sex drive gone out of control.

I agree that the staff should not have been the ones to purchase said item. However, I don't think this is a sign of an out-of-control libido. Methinks the tissue damage was from using something that was obviously not made for said purpose.

[MichaelFloridaRN]

I think that we should look at this in a professional way.

The woman obviously has a need that she is attempting to meet, and a right to do so. We must respect this.

The item can be ordered via the net, or someone could volunteer to go buy it. I agree that no staff member should be made to go buy one. I would likely have a problem buying this myself.

The resident should be assisted in keeping this "item" clean and stored in a way to protect the residents privacy.

I did read in one reply that family should go buy this. If this is possible, sure why not. However, the resident may not have family. And even more important, the resident may not want the family to know about this. So we as professional caretakers should step up and assist the resident in this matter. After all this is part of Maslows hierarchy.