The Pandora’s Box of Addressing Sexual Expression in Nursing Homes

There is an old saying: “Just because there’s snow on the roof doesn’t mean there’s not fire in the furnace.” The idea that older adults, even those in a nursing home, continue to have sexual desires and urges isn’t new, but there continue to be some stigmas attached to it. Staff and families often aren’t comfortable discussing sexual expression, and this can be problematic when a resident is behaving in a way that is offensive or distressing to others or even potentially harmful.