___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Romance and Sex in Nursing Home Settings
This project examines the complications that arise when nursing home residents fall in love. It was inspired by stories
like this one:
"An Affair to Remember" from Slate.com
Some resources that might be of interest:
1) The Hebrew Home, in Riverdale, New York offers a comprehensive training program
on sexual expression. It may be the first facility to develop such a policy. For more information:
The Hebrew Home
2)The American Medical Directors Association also has resources that may be useful, including Model policies
and procedures:
Policy on Sexual Activity
Do you have a story about romance in a
long-term care setting? If so, please drop me a line and, if you like, we can schedule a phone interview.
Tell your story
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________--
Parenting Reflections: Narratives of late life parents and their adult children
Parenting is a central developmental experience for most men and women. This project looks at parenting from the
perspectives of mothers, fathers, and adult children. It draws from a large professional literature on intergenerational
relations, and takes issue with what most people say about "the empty nest." I see parenting as a lifetime
project. Sure, some children get "launched," whatever that means, and for many this is a traumatic milestone. But
mothers' reactions to the departure of children vary tremendously. Some do crump, but others launch themselves into a new
identity or lifestyle. For many people "launch" is an inept metaphor. "Boomerang" children come and go
and parents share in their adventures, their victories, and their pain. In these post-modern times late-life parenting is
another of those liminal experiences where roles are unclear and norms are absent. We feel our way and wonder whether anybody
else is going through anything remotely similar.
I struggle to characterize
the method for this study, preferring to think of it as an extended conversation than as "data collection." I plan
to borrow from autoethnography the reflective look at self and appreciation for the role of culture. But that's not enough.
To be broadly relevant - not just a memoir - this piece must draw from the narratives of other parents and their adult children.
So I plan to issue a broad invitation, through whatever means I can find, to those willing to share their stories and reflections.
The science will come from care paid to documenting others' contributions, and an disciplined approach to interpretation that
integrates established methods for ensuring rigor. The art will lie throughout, in the questions asked, the interpretations
given, and the final narrative. I hope the book will be more lyrical and more evocative than most scientific writings. I hope
it will have some literary merit. We'll see!
What about you? I invite you to share your reflections on late-life parenting and the
launching or otherwise of your children.
Tell your story
