Alzheimer’s Disease and Sexual Behaviour

Alzheimer’s disease affects so many aspects of a patients’ life that its description as a living death is not wholly inappropriate. However, the term living death is not applicable to the patient alone. Relatives and carers suffer equally from the effects of the disease. When a near one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, little thought is initially given to sexual behavior because the onset of the disease is slow. However, it is important that issues of Alzheimer’s disease and sexual behaviour are understood and anticipated by those who are responsible to look after a patient.

Inappropriate sexual behaviour in a person suffering from Alzheimer’s disease can cause problems on occasion. Nevertheless, there is no reason whatsoever why a couple can’t continue a loving relationship until quite late into the disease as long as both parties are happy to do this. However, as the Alzheimer’s disease progresses and the sufferer becomes more disabled, sexual activity usually declines naturally.

There can be inappropriate sexual incidents when sexual urges are revealed at unsuitable times and places. This is often assumed to happen to men only, but women can also display this type of characteristic.

There may even be aggressive sexual behaviour when a patient in the advanced stages of disease makes advances towards his own carers and even towards complete strangers. It is also found that feelings and responses that a person could control when he was healthy now begin to surface, much to the distress and discomfiture of everyone concerned.

It can be both tiresome and embarrassing. A man may wish to continue his previous relationship with his wife, but she is now reluctant to do this. If he doesn’t understand the reasons why, it could become very distressing for him.

In the later stages of the disease, the sufferer may make advances to their carers. This can be distressing for the carer especially if they are not used to dealing with people with this type of dementia. The carers themselves often need full support to enable them to deal with inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Other problems associated with inappropriate sexual behaviour and alzheimer’s sufferers includes fondling of their genitals/private parts. This can lead to full masturbation at inappropriate times and places which again can be very upsetting and embarrassing for carers and other observers.

Click here to reserve Alzheimer's Tips eBook. Learn a program that teaches people how to provide quality care to individuals with Alzheimer's disease and memory loss

Keeping the alzheimer’s sufferer occupied and diverted can be a good method for distracting them from this behaviour. However the sufferer should also be checked for signs of irritation or infection, as they may be simply scratching or rubbing at a place that is causing them some discomfort.

Appropriate clothing can lesson the activities of inappropriate masturbation or exposure of genitals. Trousers for women and trousers with no fly opening for men is a dignified way of accomplishing this.

However if the sexual behaviour rises to an intolerable level for the carers or family, and the dignity of the alzheimer’s sufferer is compromised, then medication from a health care provider who specialises in this type of behaviour can be obtained. This of course should only be done as a last resort.

People associated with looking after those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease need to remember that the dignity of the patient needs to be preserved, even while he is restrained from inappropriate sexual behaviour in some way. While it can be extremely embarrassing to family members, they need to remember that the patient is not in control of his actions at all and needs to be given care and sympathy.