{"id":936,"date":"2019-04-24T16:09:18","date_gmt":"2019-04-24T16:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stonegateblog.wpengine.com\/?p=936"},"modified":"2020-11-06T22:08:09","modified_gmt":"2020-11-06T22:08:09","slug":"naked-not-afraid-talking-about-senior-sex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpsnf.com\/naked-not-afraid-talking-about-senior-sex\/","title":{"rendered":"Naked &#038; Not Afraid: Talking About Senior Sex"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Helen, a resident in a senior care community, is 60 years old and living with dementia. She has a boyfriend whose room is down the hall. He\u2019s in the early stages of Alzheimer\u2019s. A family member is appalled when she sees Helen kissing her boyfriend \u2013 and suspects there has been some sexual activity. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yvette Evans-Wiggins is the Director of Nursing at The Villages on MacArthur, <a href=\"https:\/\/stonegatesl.com\/locations\/\">a Stonegate Senior Living supported community<\/a>, where Helen lives. She explains the situation this way: \u201cHelen\u2019s family member doesn\u2019t believe the relationship is a good idea for Helen. \u2018It\u2019s not ladylike,\u2019 the relative says. \u2018Can we put Helen on medication so she doesn\u2019t have these urges?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople often think that after a certain age, sex isn\u2019t something that seniors need,\u201d Evans-Wiggins says. \u201cBut sexual health is just as important as physical, mental, and spiritual health \u2013 at any age. Senior living communities are often a setting that reawakens this part of a senior\u2019s life.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rpsnf.com\/contact-us\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/stonegateblog.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/SG-Sexuality-Blog-CTAs-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-937\" width=\"768\" height=\"233\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ensuring Privacy<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDisease processes such as Alzheimer\u2019s are hitting people at an earlier age, and our resident population is getting younger and younger,\u201d Evans-Wiggins says. \u201cSexual urges are often still intact. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa067423\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stonegateblog.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/seniors-sex-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-939\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cResidents in senior living settings need to be supported in making their own decisions about sexuality. Intimacy may be conveyed in several ways, from holding hands to having sexual intercourse. We want to ensure residents have the privacy they need to express themselves sexually, if they want to.\u201d <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Privacy is easier to ensure in assisted living communities, where the doors to rooms lock. For residents in memory care communities, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), doors do not lock so that staff can reach residents quickly in case of a medical emergency. \u201cThe challenge in these communities is to ensure staff respect privacy when the door is closed \u2013 and to allow plenty of time before entering the room.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes romances are brief. For example, two residents in short-term rehab may \u201chook up\u201d and end the relationship when one or the other returns home. Or long-term residents may form relationships and later break up. \u201cIt\u2019s not much different than what goes on in the world at large,\u201d Evans-Wiggins says. &nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Educating Staff<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Staff are specially trained in how to handle sexual issues with residents. If a staff member accidentally walks in on a sexual encounter, procedures are in place for what to do next. A social worker and psychologist are part of the team to help staff navigate difficult situations.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.berkeleywellness.com\/self-care\/sexual-health\/article\/seniors-sex-and-stds\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stonegateblog.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/senior-sti.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-940\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur goal is always to make sure that privacy, dignity, and safety are respected,\u201d Evans-Wiggins says. \u201cIf we\u2019re aware that two residents are having a sexual relationship, we make sure it\u2019s consensual. Some residents may not be physically or cognitively able to agree to sexual activity. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also important that staff reinforce safe sex practices with residents, such as using condoms, to avoid sexually transmitted infections (STIs). <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSafe sex campaigns have been prominent in recent years, but seniors are typically not part of the target audience,\u201d Evans-Wiggins says. \u201cEfforts to increase awareness are increasingly important for seniors, as STIs in this demographic are on the rise.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Enlightening Families<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Children of seniors may have trouble believing that a parent is still interested in sex or is sexually active, especially if their loved one is experiencing cognitive decline or physical issues. Talking it over with mom or dad may be awkward, but critical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> \u201cIf you suspect that your parent is having an intimate relationship, it\u2019s important to address sexuality issues in an empathic, nonjudgmental way,\u201d Evans-Wiggins advises. \u201cAsk questions with sensitivity \u2013 and help your parent make decisions on his or her own terms. For example, you might say, \u2018Let\u2019s talk about your new relationship. Are you getting the privacy you need to spend time together? Are you practicing safe sex?\u2019 As you get more comfortable talking about what\u2019s really going on in your parent\u2019s life, you can be assured you\u2019re helping them make the most empowering decisions about their sexual health and relational wellbeing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rpsnf.com\/contact-us\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/stonegateblog.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/SG-Sexuality-Blog-CTAs-2-1024x311.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-938\" width=\"768\" height=\"233\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Resources:<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa067423\">https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa067423<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aplaceformom.com\/blog\/9-21-15-aging-sex-through-the-eyes-of-a-psychologist\/\">https:\/\/www.aplaceformom.com\/blog\/9-21-15-aging-sex-through-the-eyes-of-a-psychologist\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4283937\/\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4283937\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nia.nih.gov\/health\/sexuality-later-life\">https:\/\/www.nia.nih.gov\/health\/sexuality-later-life<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.berkeleywellness.com\/self-care\/sexual-health\/article\/seniors-sex-and-stds\">http:\/\/www.berkeleywellness.com\/self-care\/sexual-health\/article\/seniors-sex-and-stds<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\tHelen, a resident in a senior care community, is 60 years old and living with dementia. She has a boyfriend whose room is down the hall. He\u2019s in the early stages of Alzheimer\u2019s. A family member is appalled when she sees Helen kissing her boyfriend \u2013 and suspects there has been some sexual activity. \t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":948,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,8,12,13,15],"tags":[23,24,25,39,26,27,21,22,40,41,14,28,42,43,16,17,18],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.12 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Naked &amp; Not Afraid: Talking About Senior Sex - Reunion Plaza Senior Care &amp; Rehabilitation Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rpsnf.com\/naked-not-afraid-talking-about-senior-sex\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Naked &amp; Not Afraid: Talking About Senior Sex - Reunion Plaza Senior Care &amp; Rehabilitation Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Helen, a resident in a senior care community, is 60 years old and living with dementia. 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