Sexuality and Aging Cont…notes…

I have to apologize to you. This is a continuation from the Guelph conference notes. If you type Sexuality and Aging at the search of this blog you shall see where it continues from. My note book was stuck in between my desk drawers. I have a beautiful big desk but I wonder with all its nooks how practical it is. This notebook is almost over. There is a portion of the Guelph library left and I will share those notes with you, because they are so proud of their university library. Besides I love libraries, spending so much time in them since my youth. Here goes: Mental Changes - How is that going to effect sexuality? Men’s erectile and aging. Lot’s of literature. Less so for women. Out of all the men who get a prescription, half of them don’t go for a second prescription. Because there is another problem. End of life: Socio emotional selective theory -there is a shift in life priorities with limited time. There is a maximization of meaningful activities in the present. Invest in emotionally meaningful goals and activities. There is a perception of limited time. As time horizon shrinks, fulfillment emerges from regulation of affect in present. Meaning in Life: When partner dies - description and reactive potential issues with own health; loneliness; learning new independence - guilt/relief. Research: Myth of sexuality and aging is prevalent. 5% of all psychophysiology studies since 1969 have an average of 50-59. 100% of studies focused on dysfunction. Sex won’t be the same as for those younger but different. What is the physical response of getting older? Has to think about sex with the mind. There is a steady increase in dysfunction as one gets older but there is still sexuality. In one American study of 75-85 year olds, there was a sexual decline. Those who do is about two or three times a month. 23% have sex once a week or more. Optimal Sex: Couples staying together 40 years or more who are having great sex - authentic to partner, true to partner and fully present. Older adults are better to focus or be fully focused than those younger. Have deep intimacy with partner - deep connection with one person. Extraordinary communication - How to enhance this for partners? Solitary sexual activity is the highest activity one will engage in. There is a sense of pleasure and understanding of the human body. xxxxxx(I have removed site due to learning more about this whih I will post) has 80 million users a day. 19 million users a day are 45. 11% are 45 - 54 year olds. 7% are 55 to 64 year olds. 4% are 65+ years. The psychologist doing this research stated it was hitting a brick wall to find research on older adults. Condoms - 20% of men and 24% of women with multiple current sexual partners used a condom during their last encounter. Only 8% of older adults who were sexually active in the past month used condoms “all the time.” There is a concern that those who engage in high risk sex wear no condoms with multiples. 93% - their own risk of SDI. Between 2005 - 2015 in people over 60 + year: 5% syphilis; 87 % increase in gonorrhoea, 142 % increase in chlamydia. HIV rates in older individuals age 50+ increased from 10.6 in 1999. Survey depicted that physicians don’t talk to seniors about sex. 38% men and 22 % of women talked to their physicians about sex. 135 physicians in England stated they never asked or discussed sex with older patients. In Finland there are male dancers for female retiree’s. Not so well here in America. (Hey isn’t Finland the number 1 country for the happiest people? Canada has fallen a lot). Aging well and age friendly communities: Halifax; Saanich BC. Amount of older persons 60+ will double from 600 million to 1.2 billion by 2025. (WHO, 201) 85+ is the fastest segment of Canadians. There are more Canadians 65+ than youth 15+. By 2051 about one in four Canadians is expected to be 65 years or older. Ontario’s 65 and older is projected to double by 2041. Most seniors feel younger than they look. GW Gatekeeper Project - 2% to 10% of older adults will experience some form of abuse or neglect each year. There is a growth in number among those isolated who have no support system. www.pinetwork.ca. Focus on City of Guelph (where I attended this seminar and who invited us all to move to Guelph). By 2036 number of seniors would reach between 9.9 and 10.9 million people. In Guelph, population is expected to be 175,000; by 2031 - a full 1/3 will be older adults. There are 8 domains of an age friendly city to improve and sustain older life used by World Health Organizations and it was used by Guelph. 1. Values and supports for older adults. 2. Optimizes applications for choice, independence and quality of life. 3. Diversity and inclusion for all. 4. The City of Guelph is committed to long term engagement in the older adult strategy. There are review recommendations regularly/report annually to city council on the progress of implantation plan. 1. Out door spaces and public buildings - review of accessibility, curb cuts; upgrade. 2. Transportation - have opportunity to travel, audible walk signals, publicize and communicate the community bus service which continues to be a debate. 3. Housing - affordable that allows independence, tax deferral program (some older adults wanted to remain in homes but couldn’t afford the taxes). Sharing roads and sidewalks (fear of being knocked over by cyclists, wheelchairs. City of Participation and employment. How can seniors participate. Communication and information. Font sizes, increasing the use of live answering (good luck with that one). EMS going to the home. Those who required modified duties went to their homes, thus removing the need to go to emergency. The City of Guelph is willing to help others in their own cities wanting help. End of notes for this portion. The pandemic gave me a rude awakening of how we treat our elderly. I was so shocked by what was happening that it makes me wonder if this is where I want to be when I am old, old. Crisis in Home Care Marketplace: Season 49, Episode 14 Description Exposing a broken system failing families and workers, secrecy around for-profit companies' use of public funds; traveling overseas to show a better and more affordable way of aging at home. Show: Marketplace Air date: March 18, 2022 I have cut and pasted the above Crises in Home Care which is rather upsetting. I suggest you watch it to understand how desperately we need change. I enjoy watching investigative reports because it is required to keep our democracy on the right path. Remember you can vote people in and you can vote them out. Questions should be answered and if they are ignored you need to wonder why. I want to continue with the ethics notes next. This weekend I am to attend a virtual weekend with the Jesuits. So next week I will share any knowledge there which you may find pertinent. I hope it is relaxing. Thank you for reading my blogs. In reference to what I wrote today, I didn’t check the sites mentioned so hopefully they are still here for you. In regards to physicians not talking to older adults about sex, I read this morning that some therapists don’t either. I do with couples regardless of their ages and singles when appropriate. Sex does help couples get closer. Later!