My dad's the care home Casanova!

It placed sexual acting out into perspective. Human sexuality is complex and at least partially regulated by hormones and neurotransmitters. Among normal adults it is highly variable and as your article points out it also is regulated by higher centers of the brain that puts the brakes on related behaviors. In Alzheimer's, the brakes may not be operative or the pathway between the breaks and acting out are inoperative. How sad for these people who are already deprived of most other means of human gratification. Surely the great minds out there can find a harmless way to manage these people.

After reading the blogs there are a couple of points to express: First, old people fall out of bed even without having sex. The beds should be low to the floor. Second, I assume that patients entering a facility have had a physical examination and have no obvious STDs. Also, worrying about safe sex in the dying is seems a little overzealous. Living is risky.

The writer is knowledgable, provides helpful information and is compassionate. My husband also is hypersexualized. I care for him at home and when he was at a more able earlier stage, I had only male caregivers. Now that he is stage three and physically much diminished, his behavior is less likely to be problematic. Earlier, when I was considering a care facility, I visited one that had awareness of that behavior trait and took it in stride. And why shouldn't these people with almost nothing good happening in their lives have sexual relations with a willing and appropriate partner? The Puritans are long gone from our society.

I spent an intern rotation in the geriatrics ward of our local mental hospital, and there was a male patient there who'd contracted multiple brain infections and lost nearly all of his faculties. He'd been a priest with several master's degrees, spent time in several monasteries and was one of the most gentle, well bred, intelligent men you'd ever meet. Unfortunately the brain infections left him a complete mess. I knew as soon as I saw him that he'd been a priest because he'd hum cantatas at the top of his lungs all day, but other than that you'd never guess any of the rest of his life. He wasn't able to walk, but he was certainly able to kick, hit, bit, scratch, etc. He had to have a table placed around his wheelchair so that no one was ever accidentally within striking distance. He would scream the most foul obscenities strung together all day and anyone he could get his hands on he'd try to sexually molest. It was as though everything he'd repressed in his former life was spewing out of him because of his disease. But it was certainly not his fault, and I'm quite certain that if he was aware of his behaviour he'd have been filled with horror. For him, and several other gentlemen there who had turned extremely sexually active/aggressive they used varying doses of the female hormone used as a birth control shot called Depo Provera. In very high doses, this is used as a chemical castration for sex offenders, but in smaller doses in men, it can reduce their sexual urges and behaviours to a manageable level. While the sexual activity your father is having may be consensual, it seems to be causing problems. This is something you may want to speak to his doctor about. It could help calm some of the rampant hormones, but not affect him in any sedative sort of way. Also, whatever you end up doing, please be sure to have a talk with him, or have one of his caretakers talk with him about safe sex. It seems a bit odd talking about it in reference to the elderly, but STD's among the elderly are rising at shocking rates. Since they're unconcerned about birth control, they were likely monogamous most of their lives and back in their heydays they didn't have to worry about so many sexually transmitted diseases, they frequently have unprotected sex, which, at any age can lead to major health risks. But above all, try not to be too angry or embarrassed, if it's not related to the changes in his brain and it's simply hormones, remember...everyone has a sex drive, without it, none of us would be here.

Your father's behavior may be indicative of a particular kind of dementia known as FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia. A particular form of FTD is Pick's Disorder. The distinquishing symptom of Pick's Disorder is loss of impulse control. The part of the brain that deteriorates is associated with our ability to put the brakes on our impulses - sexual, aggressive, eating, gambling, risk taking. People with Pick's Disorder show problematic behaviors even before they show signs of cognitive decline. Extreme sexual acting out is one of the most common signs of Pick's especially in men. I can't diagnose your father but I would suggest you search the internet for information about Pick's Disorder. There are some medications that can reduce the sexual acting out such as Seroquel. A good book on this topic is What if its not Alzheimers....do some reading and if this sounds like something your father may have, talk to his doctor.

I feel for you. My uncle is 90 and he too has been kicked out of assisted living facilities for the very same reason. Two things I found out he doesn't force anyone, and he has bonafide "girlfriends". I also know that if I am around too long, he will hit on me. They both have health problems not social problems, or moral issues. They would have to be in full control of their mental faculties for it to be a moral or social issue in which we would be ashamed, but the truth of the matter is they are innocent victims of theft. The theft caused by alzheimers and it is nothing to be ashamed of. It could one day be any of us.

Why are we Americans so screwed up about sex? It is healthy to have sex, at any age. I hope that I can find a place that will allow me to have sex, especially masturbation and erotica to go along with it. In Europe this is not an issue but in uptight and puritan America, we don't know how to deal with these issues except drug people. That's why, for another example, there are wealthy gays building old age homes so that gays and lesbians can have sex without interference from nurses....or children. But even as a heterosexual, I hope my children never drug me but allow me full sexual pleasure at any age. We are the most screwed-up nation on earth sexually with high rates of unwed mothers, high levels of HIV, and numerous other problems caused by suppressed sexuality and poor sex education. People do not engage in sex because of sex education courses. They are engaging in sex because it is normal. Sex education will teach them to be safe and healthy when having sex and not have children too early if you can't afford to take care of them. In other words, responsible sex. But as I've said, we in the USA are the worst in the world in understanding and teaching sex.

The army used to use "Salt peter?" to discourage sexual activity. My spelling may be off, but has anyone heard of it? I don't know if there were any side effects, at least not like the meds used on these AZ patients today.

Having recently presented a seminar on the subject of sexual conduct in care facilities at the National Council on Aging conference on Chicago, I would say this: drugs are not the only way to deal with sexual behavior. Sometimes the person with dementia has a need for touch, for affection, or for other pleasurable contact, not specifically sex. Meeting those needs for touch in appropriate ways, with a backrub, massage, or other contact can do a lot to minimize inappropriate behavior. Few facilities have specific ways to evaluate the needs a person has for touch, or affection, or anything intimate that is not treatment. We hope to see that change in the future. In the meantime, look at Dad's needs and work with the treating physician and nursing staff to find ways to avoid overmedicating him or drugging the behavior away. Activity programs can provide the distractions other commentors have also mentioned and I agree with all those suggestions. His disease process does not destroy his emotions, his basic human need for physical contact, nor his ability to find enjoyment in appropriate, nonsexual touch.

I have to admit, I did grin a bit reading your post. I used to take my dog to visit nursing homes as part of my humane society volunteering. What I couldn't do with words for the residents, she could do by simply walking up to them for a pat on the head. We were always quided through the facility by the director for several reasons. Some of the residents did not like dogs, some had allergies and some were "frisky." Since my visits were not daily, I didn't know who to watch out for so she would let me know or she would tell them "no-no." What I remember about it - and it was frequent, is that this is not the person doing it - it's the disease doing it. When my visits would end, no apologies were expected by me and I let the homes know that because I knew who the real "culprit" was. We would giggle about it a bit because like you said, humor makes it feel not so bad. Many hugs to you!