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https://hellocare.com.au/should-aged-care-staff-be-tasked-with-dilating-post-op-transgender-residents/



Gwenda Darling, a vibrant and outspoken member of the Aged Care Council of Elders, has been a familiar face at aged care conferences over the past decade. And while vibrant pink is no longer a shock to most in the sector, some of the topics that she enjoys talking about are. Gwenda’s candid discussions about sex and sexuality in aged care and disability care, topics often considered taboo, have been both refreshing and challenging in a sector that increasingly emphasises sensitivity in language. Gwenda, diagnosed with behaviour-variant frontotemporal dementia 12 years ago, recently highlighted a growing concern in aged care: the needs of post-op transgender individuals, particularly the necessity of dilating cosmetically created sex organs to closure.

CNA's are trained on peri care. I don't believe they are trained to do the transgender maintenance. I would not expect licensed CNA's to perform this task.
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In this climate of sexual harassment and assault allegations. I'd be very hesitant to provide that type of care for a dementia patient or any other patient as a matter of fact.
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I have no idea why this post has been allowed to remain since it has ZERO to do with aging caregiving. My questions -
Why would any person undergoing this surgery need a nurse's help for this... are we assuming they were in a catastrophic accident and suffered both a brain injury and loss of their arms/hands??
This may also need to be done for cis women who have had cancer treatment, would it be okay then?
If we are imagining the future where an octogenarian trans woman is in a nursing home - is it realistic to assume they will still be sexually active and needing this? Think about it, I mean, we don't even treat older women with prolapses properly.
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No
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I learn something new everyday when I come to this forum.

I never thought about a transgender with dementia needing to dilate everyday. Is this even a possibility at this point in life? You can barely get a dementia client to bathe let alone having this done to them. I wouldn't chance it.
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I don’t think even a caregiver trained to do this would do it and risk getting hit , kicked , bit etc . when a patient with dementia thinks they are being violated . At that point it’s also not worth upsetting the patient .

Reminds me of a couple of very confused old women I took care of in a nursing home who needed a pessary removed and cleaned . It was a nightmare .
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I just learned something new at 75! IMO, if this person is in a NH, Memory care or AL with Dementia, no need for a staff member to do this. If you can't do it for yourself, oh well.
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Yes, exactly. If Gwenda has the ability to do all this chatting about this subject Gwenda is likely ALSO able to do her own dilation procedures, which are taught, and become as natural as wiping yourself after you go to the bathroom.

I wouldn't put a whole lot of thought into this story. Sounds a bit like someone searching to create a bit of drama to me. A bit like shouting "mask" in a crowded theater. All about attention.
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Gwenda didn’t sound like she even had dementia, let alone a diagnosis of frontotemporal from 12 years ago.

Nor is the “closure” of the neovagina due to lack of dilation a life threatening medical issue. It impedes sexual function, but it won’t kill you.
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No, this is a medical procedure for which people have been TRAINED.
Untrained personnel would not be expected to do dilations in the instance of vaginoplasty surgery. Though the medication RNs may be trained in how to deliver vaginal hormones to prevent incontinence (which is accomplished because the hormones "plump up" the urethral tissue and allow it to more easily hold the urine). Or to give vaginal suppositories for fungal infection and for other medical reasons.
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