A Review of Sexuality and the Chronically Ill Older Adult...

Introduction This article â€Å"Sexuality and the Chronically Ill Older Adult: A Social Justice Issue† is published in the journal Sexuality and Disability and the authors are Verna C Pangman and Marilyn Seguire. The article provides an overview and outline on sexuality in the older adult with a chronic illness. In today’s world, according to Verna C Pangman and Marilyn Seguire, sexuality for the older adult and the elderly is a â€Å"taboo† word, and if mentioned, fear and apprehension by the older adult and society develops. The older adult, believe that when they are ill or have a chronic disease process or even disabled they are not able to have lasting relationships, be engaged in sexual activity, and the result is the older adult†¦show more content†¦The article suggests that nurses need training, education, and continuing education on how to address sexuality in a chronically ill older adult. In addition, the nurse completing the comprehensive physical asses sment tends to ignore or omit taking a sexual history. A sexual history should include some of the following; the older adults needs for meeting sexual desires, role expectations, the reason for sexual concerns. Doyle, Bisson, Janes, Lynch, and Martin (Doyle D, Bisson D,Janes N,Lynch H,Martin C;, 1999) developed Sexuality Guidelines for their organization. They recognized the fact that community social justice and social responsibility were extremely important for these guidelines. Evaluation This article illustrates an extremely sensitive topic about sexuality in the older adult and in the chronically ill adult. The article mentions a number of valid points on sexuality, which is extremely interesting as society and health care professionals tend to ignore this topic. The tradition was that the older adult was not interested in sex and as one got older, they would lose interest in sex and the studies of Matocha and Waterhouse point out that nurses were most likely to ignore the sexual concerns of the patients of any age group. The most recent up to date definition for sexuality indicates that sex and sexuality should not be seen in the same entity, but includes various kinds ofShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Sex And Intimacy Of Older Americans3096 Words   |  13 PagesIntroduction The number of aging adults in the United States is rapidly increasing. Based off of the 2012 U.S. Census data, 13.4% of the population is people 65 years of age and older. An estimated 20% of the population will consist of adults 65 years of age and older (U.S. Administration on Aging, 2008). As a result, it is important to fully understand the factors contributing to the well being and happiness of older Americans. It is popular belief that sex and intimacy contribute to a higher quality