The Second Sexual Revolution? : Baby Boomer Women and Their Changing Sexuality Needs in Later Life Decades and in Long-Term Care

Abstract

As one of the largest generational cohorts in history, the baby boomer generation is viewed as having significantly upended societal conceptualizations of aging and what it means to become "old". It has also been suggested that baby boomers differ significantly from previous generations in how they experience their sexuality. There has been much speculation in the literature that baby boomers will expect to maintain their sexuality well into later life and will persist in their refusal to buy into societal standards of aging, including those pertaining to sexual expression. Yet, to date, little is actually known about their experience of sexuality over their lifetime, including their expectations for sexuality in the future and within the long-term care context. Given that women tend to live longer than men and are less likely to have access to informal care services, the largest consumers of these services will be women. It is important that their voices be heard. The studies in this dissertation contribute positively to existing knowledge. First, by reporting on mid-life women's perceptions and expectations regarding their sexuality, and, second, by eliciting the attitudes and opinions of Ontario's long-term care (LTC) administrators regarding the current and perceived future state of LTC with regard to supports and impediments to residents' sexuality. The first study of this dissertation adopted a qualitative approach and was comprised of 24 women aged 54 to 65 years. Participants' perceptions of their sexuality were varied, involved a number of interrelated variables, and were commonly understood to develop over time in response to changing life circumstances. Descriptions of sexuality moved beyond traditional conceptualizations of specific sexual behaviours to include aspects of body image and body awareness, as well as personal and relational features. The possibility of having to transition to LTC to meet one's later life needs was not a popular prospect and participants perceived numerous barriers to continued sexuality within this context. Many participants were uncertain about the availability of supports; however, some were optimistic they would be made available when needed. This knowledge strengthens previous assertions that existing policies and procedures will not be sufficient to meet the expectations and demands of the next generation of LTC residents. The second study of this dissertation was a survey study of 150 long-term care LTC administrators/Directors of Care. It investigated their attitudes and opinions regarding the preparedness of Ontario's aged-care facilities to meet the sexuality and intimacy needs of the next generation of residents-baby boomers. Our findings show that although they are quite knowledgeable regarding late-life sexuality, many LTC administrators hold the opinion that, as it stands, their facility is unprepared to respond to residents' changing needs and expectations. The findings of this dissertation have important implications for practice and policy development, healthcare curriculum and staff training, community level interventions, and for the sexual health outcomes of aging women.