Abstract
The World Health Organization through its Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health (2021) has recognized sexual rights as a fundamental human right and the enjoyment of one’s sexuality as a critical component in a person’s quality of life. Despite this clear statement, most people find it hard to put geriatrics and sexuality in the same sentence. As the overall life expectancy of the population increases, despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is expected that people will continue to have opportunities of engaging in sexual relationships and these relationships will bloom in healthcare settings such as nursing homes, residential or assisted living facilities. It is therefore imperative that we, as healthcare providers, be prepared to provide education, support, and information so that our geriatric population remains safe, healthy, and happy in their later years.
We cannot afford to ignore any portion of the older person’s life if we truly want to improve their overall well being and provide quality services. Nevertheless, it seems that at this time most US facilities providing healthcare and residential services to this population are unequipped to address issues related to sexuality and sexual health. This presentation aims to assess the current standard practices in the healthcare field regarding geriatric sexual health and respect for geriatric patients’ sexual rights; describe barriers for supporting sexual health and sexual expression in geriatric settings; and propose first steps towards more respectful, healthy and supportive nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
In the United States, patients needing the services of geriatric facilities commonly experience loss of privacy, lack of understanding from family and providers, lack of training in the area of sexual health from geriatricians, and concerns related to consent and assent as cognitive impairments arise. Providers tend to err on the side of caution in the name of safety and to appease family members or caregivers who are uncomfortable with the thought of a geriatric relative’s sexual expression. Some organizations, such as the Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing (AIPCA) at La Trobe University have conducted work in this area and developed tools to assess the level of support geriatric residential facilities display regarding the sexual expression of their patients and describe areas of improvement.
As the world population ages and the number of people served in geriatric residential facilities increases, it is crucial for the healthcare sector to take a stance regarding sexual health and respect for sexual expression and lead the way in developing best practice guidelines for healthcare facilities serving older adults (including training for their staff), as well as educational guidelines to include sexual health training in the curricula of future geriatricians whether they be physicians, psychologists, behavioral health consultants, or nurses. The well being and quality of life of older adults depends on it, and our older selves will thank us for it.