Handling Sexuality in Institutions with Adults Who Have Dementia
Dementia is a neurocognitive disorder that people in their old age commonly experience. This disorder causes variation in the sex drive behaviors of an individual. People tend to have different expressions towards intimacy and sexual life. Thus, sexual activities and sexual interests vary differently during late adulthood for different people. However, institutions need to find appropriate ways and means to handle sexuality, particularly in adults with dementia. Institutional caregivers should manage dementia in adults through psychotropic medications, explore different ways of showing affection and focus on other ways these adults can spend time together.
Institutions need to explore new ways adults with dementia can spend time together. According to D’cruz, Andrade, and Rao (2020), patients in long-term residential facilities are prone to sexual abuse without autonomy. For this reason, institutions need to initiate activities that deviate the sexual urges of an individual into something else. These activities could include participation in organized social events such as hiking and planting trees. This strategy help adults with dementia to become less sexually prone to sexual abuse and activeness. Caregiver institutions should also create separate rooms where adults can comfortably satisfy their conjugal desires (D’cruz, Andrade, & Rao, 2020). Initiation of this alternative will help adults with dementia to control their intimate behaviors.
Institutions should handle sexuality in adults with dementia by developing strategies focusing on other ways of showing affection. Adults with dementia express intimate feelings and sexual desires differently than others can term abnormal (Lindau et al., 2018). Thus, institutional caregivers should focus on showing patients other ways of expressing affection, such as holding hands and snuggling (Winnie, 2016). This approach is significant in controlling the behavioral aspect of hypersexuality experienced by patients with dementia (D’cruz, Andrade, & Rao, 2020). Furthermore, institutions should educate victims of dementia on other nonsexual forms of touching, such as massaging, dancing, and hugging. This strategy helps patients to show affection not only in sexual intimacy but in other non-stimulating activities.
Further, institutions should intensify psychotropic medications to control sexuality in adults with dementia. Pharmacological management and medication are attempted if nonpharmacological strategies fail (D’cruz, Andrade, & Rao, 2020). Psychotropic medication includes antidepressants that reduce individuals’ sexual activities by causing sexual dysfunction and decreasing cognitive arousal levels (D’cruz, Andrade, & Rao, 2020). This medication not only controls sexuality behaviors of people with dementia in residential care, but it can help them outside these institutions. Medication is a cheaper remedy that healthcare institutions need to disseminate because family members can easily manage their patients via dosage given than other activities such as massage.
Communication of Sex Education of Late Adulthood across Generations
I agree with many people that sex education in late adulthood must be communicated across generations. Sex education is a crucial subject that needs to be taught to create awareness of the common problems that face society and the healthcare sector. Whereas some people become sexually active and driven by sexual desires, others lose interest in sexual and intimate matters in late adulthood (Sanchez, 2014). Creating awareness through sex education will help to control cases of sexuality problems for dementia in late adulthood. Fleishman (2006) states that sex education communication across generations helps families to protect adults with dementia in late adulthood to lead dignified sexual lives. Partners will understand each other and their sexual behaviors during the late ages of marriage and reduce instances of sexual abuse (Elisabeth, Alexis, & Christina, 2017). Overall, sex education should be enhanced and promoted across families to resolve the problem of sexuality, especially for people with dementia in late adulthood.
Generally, institutions need to explore new ways adults with dementia can spend time together, focus on different ways of showing affection and enhance psychotropic medications to handle sexuality problems in late adulthood. Exploring new ways of spending time together could include involvement in charitable activities that deviate the brain from sexual desires. Adults at late ages can also show affection through dancing while psychotropic medication such as antidepressants reduces cognitive arousal levels. Sex education should be taught across generations to create awareness of the sexual behaviors that come in late adulthood, especially for patients with dementia.
References
D’cruz, M., Andrade, C., & Rao, T. S. (2020). The expression of intimacy and sexuality in persons with dementia. Journal of Psychosexual Health, 2(3-4), 215-223.
Elisabeth, O. B., Alexis, B. A., & Christina, B. (2017). Following your heart isn’t easy when assisted living rules make sex awkward: Maybe residents need ‘do not disturb’ signs.The Washington Post. Web.
Fleishman, J. (2006). Is it ok for grandma to have sex? Lessons from an aging sexuality educator [Video file]. YouTube. Web.
Lindau, S. T., Dale, W., Feldmeth, G., Gavrilova, N., Langa, K. M., Makelarski, J. A., & Wroblewski, K. (2018). Sexuality and cognitive status: A US nationally representative study of home‐dwelling older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 66(10), 1902-1910.
Sanchez, E. K. (2014). TEDxTalk: Sexuality and dementia, “Having the sex talk with dad” [Video File]. YouTube. Web.
Winnie, H. (2016). Too old for sex? Not at this nursing home. The New York Times. Web.