Does the romantic relationship change with Alzheimer's disease?
Is the romantic relationship affected by Alzheimer's disease?
Sex life and romantic relationships of people with Alzheimer's disease are often taboo.Getting over the purely practical needs for the management of a person with dementia is however important for their well-being.However, the quality of life goes through the social bond in general and by affective relations in particular.
People with Alzheimer's disease at a more or less advanced stage cannot always express their needs, which does not mean that they do not exist.The need for physical and emotional contact, even sexual relations, is present.
The person with Alzheimer's disease and his spouse can be anxious by the way his memory and his behavior change.The patient often experiences negative feelings that will affect the romantic relationship:
The patient, moreover, is not the only one to see his love life affected by the decline of his cognitive functions.The spouse, now defined as a "caregiver", is also affected by the transformation of his loved one.He may have the impression that sexual relations are a displaced act, or even experience a certain anger in the face of dependence and the difficulties linked to the care of his close.Memory losses, repeated questions and certain behavioral disorders can frustrate it.
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