Living in a nursing home does not change the need for loving, intimate relationships.

My business is about serving seniors and my ears perk up whenever I hear nursing homes mentioned on NPR.  While driving to church my husband looked at me amused as the discussion centered on the Hebrew Home at Riverdale in Bronx, New York and their management of “romance/sex” among residents who live in their nursing home.

Listening to the story, I think they are on target with how they’ve managed loving and intimate relationships among residents, and communication with family members.  Key to their success is having policies and company standards in place that deal with a sensual and emotionally charged topic. They also educate and train staff who then can be respectful, professional, and dignified when they need to discuss circumstances internally and with nursing home residents and their family members.

I think managing our approach to mealtime is in the same category.  It’s an emotionally charged environment although we seldom respect it the same way.  I told my husband if we can make dining as tantalizing as sex in nursing homes, I would be on NPR.