Nathalie Huitema

Three types of sexual expression can be distinguished: erotic, romantic, and acts of affection. The staff becomes more uneasy as the behavior becomes more intimate. Showing love and care is typically seen as cute and lovely by staff and family and will therefore be viewed as appropriate behavior. Staff members’ reactions to romantic behavior vary, […]

Most older adults are engaged in intimate relationships and can maintain them throughout their lives. Research shows that the frequency of sexual activity by older adults was similar to that among adults aged 18-59 years. This finding indicates that the frequency of sexual activity does not decrease significantly with age. Interestingly, there is a lower

The ability to express intimate and sexual behavior increases general health and quality of life for all people, including older adults, which is a well-known fact in sexuality research. With intimacy and sexuality being on a continuum, this means that by having close connections with others or having a great sex life, a person has

Several things play a role in the problematization of sexuality in memory care/senior care. One of them is that memory care and elderly care, in general, are organized within the medical system through a series of practices, policies, attitudes, and behaviors. This system has historically been referred to as medicalization. Secondly, the historically embedded negative

There are several myths and sayings in relation to sexuality and aging in our current society, such as ‘you can’t fire up an old engine’, or ‘older people lose their ability to perform sexually after a certain age’, and ‘elderly people are not attractive, and therefore not desirable’. The reason is that in our society,