Pharmacologic Treatment of Sexual Inappropriateness in Long-Term Care Residents with Dementia

Dr. Srinivasan is a geriatric psychiatry fellow and Dr. Weinberg is Chief of Geriatrics and Extended Care at Dorn VA Medical Center; Dr. Weinberg is also Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia. A lthough behavioral symptoms associated with dementia in geriatric long-term care (LTC) residents living in nursing facilities are common, sexual inappropriateness (sexual disinhibition) remains one of the least understood and treatable aspects of this disease. Separating agitation and normal sexual expression from any sexual disinhibition that may be present can be clinically challenging to the health care practitioner and LTC nursing staff. Family concerns and staff attitudes toward normal sexual expression between older adults living in a LTC nursing facility may also cause an inconsistent approach to the evaluation of sexual disinhibition.