“Everything you ever wanted to know about aging, but were afraid to ask”. The 2010 American Society on Aging/National Council on Aging Convention in Chicago last week was a testimonial to the popular adage that “60 is the new 50” – or, as some optimists prefer: 70 is the new 50. In any case, energy packed the Hyatt Regency on Wacker last week, with thousands of people gallivanting from workshop to seminar to exhibits to that refreshing taste of wine at the end of the day.
The Silver Sexual Revolution was my presentation.In spite of our workshop room being buried deeply in the bowels of the Hyatt (purple level, West tower, no escalator), and our time slot couldn’t have been more challenging (the lunch hour), our topic of sexuality and aging ruled! They can’t keep the pioneers down! We garnered a decent crowd, and the discussion was lively. I shared the stage with Anita Hoffer, PhD (the really smart one – Harvard professor), and Peggy Brick, MA (the Grande Dame of sex education in this country – maybe the world). A distinguished panel, we talked about our own work, and the mission of the new Consortium on Sexuality and Aging – a compendium of talented professionals devoted to this critical topic.
We talked about the need for redefining how we view intimacy at midlife plus – and taking the emphasis off the grand poobah, intercourse, and onto pleasuring and enjoying intimacy without the pressure of “going all the way”. That’s really a message for all ages, but, lucky for our age group, it’s our theme song.
I discussed the need for staff training in independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing around the sexual expression issues. A whole skill set is needed for staff in dealing with these issues, both in accommodating couples within a community, and accounting for dementia and sexuality. Some tough challenges rear their heads , but with love, hope, and focused skills and protocol, we are able to help. Staff training and policy development for staff and administration is my specialty.
The highlight for me was Ken Dychtwall, the keynote speaker Wednesday morning. His key learning points, from my vantage point were:
- Only 20% of medical schools in this country have Gerontology specialties.
- If that is the case for general programs in geriatrics, imagine the small number of schools that actually allow training in sexuality. Not many! And yet it is the baseline of who we are.
- Boomers need a financial wake-up call. We will no longer be able to create wealth from thin air. Instead, we need to take a lesson from our parents, and heed the call of savvy spending and savings. It’s never too late to start.
Great convention! Thank you, ASA and NCOA for giving us a week of updates, promises, and hope.
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