Senior Care and Sexuality

Abstract

In recent years, more attention has been paid to enduring sexual desire among the elderly. As senior care entities place ever-greater emphasis on resident satisfaction, they note that sexual desire, although typically diminished with age, does not disappear. Similarly, a growing number of articles and studies highlight the various health benefits associated with remaining sexually active later in life. As baby boomers begin utilizing senior care services, providers are well aware of the demonstrated differences between their views on sex and marriage and those held by preceding generations. In light of this shift toward the acceptance of sexual activity that society previously considered morally unacceptable, as well as the rapid changes in cultural and jurisprudential understandings of sex, marriage, and family, it is unsurprising that senior care organizations are striving to give greater freedom of sexual self-expression to their residents. Autonomy and privacy begin to emerge as the highest values.