Hours: 3 Approvals: ARF, RCFE, APPROVED ALZHEIMER'S DEMENTIA
Quizzes
Following each lesson, there is a quiz. You must achieve a score of 70% to move on to the next lesson. The use of quizzes satisfies the CCL regulation that online courses be interactive.
Sex and Dementia
This course focuses on dementia (a general term referring to major neurocognitive disorder, or major NCD) and sexuality, intimacy, and sexual behavior in care homes—a subject that remains one of the last taboos in long-term care. The onset of older age or a cognitive impairment does not erase the need for affection, intimacy, and relationships, yet this aspect of aging has often been ignored and sidelined in policy and practice.
While the issues involved can be complex, controversial, and sensitive, and may challenge our own beliefs and value systems, it is essential that we better understand them to foster a more person-centered approach to dementia care. Care home residents living with dementia often have complex care needs, and understanding and responding to the more intimate and sexual aspects of a resident’s personality can be challenging.
This course also aims to challenge negative attitudes and misconceptions about older people living with dementia and their sexuality.
There is a common belief that older people do not engage in or enjoy sexual activity. This belief ignores the fact that all human beings have the capacity and need to express their sexuality regardless of age or disability. Sexual expression is more than a physical sex act; it is part of what makes us human across genders and identities. The course objective is to provide care providers with the knowledge to support sexual expression for people living with dementia in a meaningful way, without loss of dignity or self-esteem.
How do we provide care to individuals living with dementia that encompasses the need for sexual expression without imposing our own values, feelings, or constraints? Care providers are often in the difficult position of judging what constitutes acceptable behavior. These decisions may cause distress to either the person living with dementia or their families. It is hoped that this course will shed light on this challenging topic through a deeper exploration of the meaning and expression of sexuality in dementia.
