Understanding Sexual Freedom and Autonomy in Assisted Living: Discourse of Residents' Rights Among Staff and Administrators.

OBJECTIVES: In contrast to nursing homes, assisted living (AL) facilities emphasize independence and autonomy as part of their mission. However, we do not know to what extent this extends to sexual freedom and autonomy. METHOD: Using grounded theory methodology and symbolic interactionism, we examine how staff and administrators in AL facilities discuss residents' rights to sexual freedom and how this influences the environment of AL. RESULTS: Staff and administrators engage in a contradictory discourse of residents' rights that simultaneously affirms the philosophy of AL while behaving in ways that create an environment of surveillance and undermine those rights. DISCUSSION: A discourse of residents' rights masks a significant conflict between autonomy and protection in regards to sexual freedom in AL.