April 26, 2014 - Comments Off on Sex and the intimate senior.
Sex and the intimate senior.
It’s a brave new world. Populated by an aging population.
And sex and and intimacy are still an important part of it.
So once our population starts hitting the really huge numbers of boomers moving into their early and late 70’s, the question about sex generally shows up somewhere in the conversation. Or not.
One of the last bastions of sexual liberation seems to have fallen squarely on the shoulders of our seniors.
We don’t want to talk about if they are having sex, enjoying sex or can even have sex. Sex in America seems to be regarded as reserved for only the younger and invincible immortals.
Now, with a healthier, more active, vibrant, and vital senior, sex is viewed as a natural progression to aging. It’s ok to age and have sex. This is good news and a healthier outlook for our beloved seniors who have more time, money, opportunity, and yes, medication to enthusiastically engage in their love life.
Age is a number, but not always a limitation.
Of course sexual frequency and duration and a decline is expected but perhaps a new definition of sex is taking hold. If seniors stay interested, have the opportunity, partner, and are reasonably healthy, there’s no reason a satisfying sex life is not part of growing older. If seniors understand the axiom, “use it or lose it” they can reap the benefits.
Sex is part of intimacy.
Connecting with others, a proven and powerful antioxidant.
Waking up with cuddling, spooning, and the intimacy of being connected is part of the sexual senior.
A positive mental outlook, positive sexual beliefs and associations play an important role in how seniors view sex, and their desire to have sex.
And perhaps just as important is the changing perspective based upon the sheer volume of new seniors aging in an entirely new and better way: the fastest-growing segment of the US population; by year 2030, it is estimated that one in every five Americans will be 65 or over. Seniors can devote more time and energy to improving their love lives. And while some seniors may be forced to give up strenuous sports, sex is a physical pleasure many older people readily enjoy—if they can find the right partner.
Naturally, aging does have a few obstacles.
Notably, older women who are widowed, divorced, or single; finding a partner can be difficult. Because women live longer than men, women make up the majority of the elderly without partners. Healthy men tend to pair up with younger women.
And in yet another tired and provincial societal critique, senior women are also judged as less attractive; a partner gap that inhibits women’s social and sexual activity as they reach their senior years. Men face their aging biology with a medicine chest full of solutions for sex later in life. For women, it’s opportunity and availability.
Time, opportunity, intimacy, health, nutrition, activity, and today’s healthcare solutions provide a new outlook on what it means to enjoy sex as a senior.
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