Sexuality In Aging: Older People Also Have Sexual Relations
They have recently talked about Sexuality in older people in their latest research Feliciano Villar, Carme Triadó, Montse Celdrán and Josep Fabà; Psychogerontologists with extensive training and experience. They refer to the perspective of the institutionalized older person, but also to the perspective of the professional.
It is clear, on the one hand, that many medications that treat neurodegenerative diseases in the third and fourth age cause as a side effect behaviors related to hypersexuality and/or sexual behavior disorders that are so complicated to treat or redirect for a healthcare professional. geriatric care. In fact, the uninhibited behavior of the elderly person in relation to the Helper is usually common.
That is why This article discusses sexuality in aging, as well as the most important conclusions that these authors have agreed upon after their research; because it is very important to know Sexuality in Aging well to treat older people from Person-Centered Care and offer the highest quality of life possible.
It is a reality that almost all people, from birth to death, have sexuality, as well as the need to have sexual relations with others and alone. Therefore it is also a reality that today In residential centers there is a very significant lack of privacy as well as individualized monitoring of older people due to lack of resources, professionals and, above all, training and communication.
In fact, as Villar, F., Triadó, C., Celdrán, M., Fabà, J. (2017) say, after having interviewed elderly residents and professionals, some of them comment that there are professionals who tend to have reactions negative and very pejorative towards older people expressing their emotional-sexual needs both in public and in private; In general, neither older people nor professionals react naturally, precisely because there is a clear stigmatization in the third and fourth ages, in addition to ageism (ageism).
According to the older people participating in the research and according to the professionals, in this case 83 out of a total of 100, they explain that sexual needs are maintained during the aging process, although not completely However, some particularly consider that “interest is maintained but practice declines,” and the intensity of sexual needs decreases but they do not disappear.
In any case, sexual needs in Aging, as in the Adult Stage, will depend above all on Life History, as well as vulnerability to certain neurodegenerative and/or neuropsychiatric diseases, since sexual desire is closely related to said diseases. diseases that are also so common. This set, therefore, must be reviewed by a socio-health professional, in this case the Psychogerontologist either in Residential Centers or in Home Care Startups; with the purpose of preserving the privacy of the person in the best possible way and facilitating sexual expression since there are, according to the authors, two barriers that need to be worked on:
Internal Barriers
Modesty and feelings of shame When it comes to sexuality in old age, there are the greatest ageisms that exist, the greatest estimation, the greatest internal barrier. We talk about moral rules and generational factors such as repressive education.
External Barriers
The context in the Residential Centers as well as the context in the Home as well as the infrastructure of the space in which the elderly person is located is the main external barrier. In Residential Centers, due to lack of resources, they usually live together in shared spaces with a clear lack of privacy and infantilization and overprotection are usually common at home. In this case, in the Centers the individual rooms would be a Facilitator and in the Home it would be an adequate clinical evaluation of the older person and their context.
Barriers and facilitators to the expression of libido
What can we professionals do about this? According to Villar, F., et al. “When asked about the most frequent sexual behaviors among residents, the majority of those who respond (many residents do not, since they consider that this dimension is absent in the institutions), masturbation is the most mentioned. “Practically all professionals mention this type of behavior, which in many cases they have involuntarily witnessed.” So, what are the objectives and strategies to follow?
1. In relation to older people
Learn first-hand about their Life Story as well as evaluate and treat your neurodegenerative diseases and study the possible side effects of their psychopharmacological treatment.
2. In relation to the context
Due to the lack of resources, it is difficult to have individual rooms in Residential Centers, so ultimately The best option is to ensure that you delay and/or avoid admission to these centers through the help of new home care startups.
3. In relation to the entire professional staff
Promote continuous communication between Nursing Auxiliaries and Psychogerontologists in order to offer person-centered care in the best possible way Advising, furthermore, is one of the main characteristic functions of socio-health professionals for the third and fourth age.
Sexuality and Dementia: 3 points to keep in mind
When dementia and sexuality overlap, the following points must be taken into account.
1. Discern consent
Nursing Assistants with more than one patient in charge usually find themselves faced with situations in which they do not know how to handle the situation. Of course, a sexual relationship between two people who have dementia or in a couple in which one of them suffers from a neurodegenerative disease creates a lot of uncertainty, making it difficult to know how to discern the consent of the older person. This is why Prevention and Follow-up is important or carried out between Psychogerontologists and Auxiliaries horizontally to, through the ACP, find a solution.
2. Advise and collect information
Sometimes, the reactions of professionals such as Nursing Auxiliaries, Social Workers, Nurses, Psychogerontologists, etc., and/or family members are not accurate, which is why Infantilization can happen This is why it is essential to remain informed and promote communication between professionals in order to advise and collect information from the different parties involved.
Dedramatize and avoid the uninhibited behavior of the elderly person, if applicable, are the key in which professionals work to promote the well-being of older people; always, but, from the ACP approach and from the evaluation and treatment within a clinical context.
Uninhibited behavior of the elderly person in relation to the Nursing Assistant
Psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants and benzodiazepines, which are usually prescribed in the aging stage to generally treat neurodegenerative diseases or dysthymic symptoms or anxiety symptoms. They can alter sexual libido, sexual desire or trigger sexual behavior disorders if adequate follow-up is not carried out in the elderly person.
Disinhibited behavior refers to socially impertinent behaviors such as exhibitionism, impudent language and sexual intentions to the other without consent – decided unilaterally –. It may then be due to neuropsychiatric symptoms and/or coexisting with neurodegenerative symptoms.
In general, these behaviors tend to happen in the face of the Nursing Assistant, who is the professional who is physically and on a daily basis with the elderly person residing in a center or in the SAD, the home service. In both cases, it is important to know the person benefiting from the service well in order to offer the greatest possible well-being.
Conclusion: Psychogerontologists and Auxiliaries working together
In short, the solution to the stigmatization of sexuality in older people and the lack of privacy falls above all on the work of professionals, be they assistants, psychogerontologists, nurses and assistants who are those who are in direct contact. with older people. This is why it is important to prevent (knowing neurodegenerative diseases), know how to discern consent, advise and gather information and, above all, dedramatize situations in which affectionate behaviors occur as well as finding solutions to inappropriate behaviors, always from the Person-Centered Care approach and from evaluation within the clinical context.
