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Stereotypes, taboos, and biases about aging and sexuality, disseminate fallacies surrounding sex as we age, dribbling down, and influencing rigid, and unfair, clinical practice. Affection and intimacy are a normal natural human need, and may encompass the giving and receiving of love, touching with affection, compassionate understanding, companionship, comfort, emotional security, and/or expressing oneself through how we dress and groom ourselves. By not satisfying these basic desires, an older person living with dementia (PLWD), may deteriorate and lose the ability to thrive, and this may be detrimental to living well, essentially crushing and demeaning personhood and spirit. Afterall, PLWD have usually lived with their sexuality for much longer than they have lived with dementia, and we have no right to thrust our subjective perceptions, or moral judgements onto another. Therefore, sexuality and intimacy within RACS supports: • Sexual needs as a NORMAL part of life. • Respectful partnerships/relationships where both parties are of the same opinion or desire. • Husbands and wives living together, if requested. • Husbands or wives who visit continue conjugal rights if requested. • Forming new partnerships is a right. • PLWD have the right to have sexual expression respected. • LGBTI sexual relationships to be respected. • Sexual preferences and choices to be documented and respected as per individual requirements. Consequently, by opening our minds, we may finally grasp that by honouring and championing the continuation of choice and control regarding sexual expression and intimate relations, we may enrich lifestyles, enable pleasure and delight, whilst upholding the human rights of all PLWD.
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