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Strange Bedfellows: Alzheimer’s in the Bedroom
The physicians who diagnose Alzheimer’s disease discuss the cognitive and behavioral changes a patient will experience during the course of the disease, and how these changes will affect their partner. But how will the diagnosis affect the intimate relationship between patients and their partners? Many couples are too embarrassed to ask the questions they really need answered. Sex is important; to some people it is a non-negotiable need. Many couples find it beneficial to have a discussion soon after diagnosis...Read the rest of this article »
Sex in Nursing Homes—The Debate Continues
Do senior care and sex make for strange bedfellows? Well, perhaps not. A few months ago, I attended an Alzheimer’s Association conference where one of the seminars dealt with issues surrounding sexuality and dementia. Many of the seminar participants had partners who had been diagnosed with dementia and eventually moved into a facility. A complaint that surfaced numerous times during the discussion was how nursing homes inherently do not allow for privacy: doors don’t lock and rooms are often...Read the rest of this article »
Talking about Intimacy, Sexuality & Alzheimer’s: Part 1
Two weekends ago I attended an annual educational conference sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association. A few days before my boss passed by my desk with a program sheet and leaned in to tell me one of the seminars I was attending would be a “gentle discussion of intimacy and sexual issues as they relate to the person with dementia,” but I still wasn’t sure what to expect. What I walked into was a frank conversation that I think many people...Read the rest of this article »
Talking about Intimacy, Sexuality & Alzheimer’s: Part 2
In the most recent posting in this series, I examined how intimacy is deconstructed and reshaped within a couple where one spouse has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Sex and intimacy for most couples are intertwined concepts. But as intimacy drifts into unfamiliar territory, like dealing with dementia, many factors act as cumbersome weights on the sexual relationship. Many dementia and sex-related issues are informed by how two people relate to each another as perceptions change. Spouses often have difficulty switching...Read the rest of this article »
