Okay, Let's Talk About Sex and Dementia

Sex and intimacy can be difficult topics to navigate, especially for caregivers and their partners facing the challenges of a dementia diagnosis. These conversations are often avoided, yet the emotional toll of intimacy-related struggles can be profound, bringing feelings of grief, confusion, and isolation. The stigma surrounding sex and dementia only deepens this silence, making open dialogue all the more essential.

On this episode of The Age of Aging, we explore one caregiver’s deeply personal journey through love, loss, and change. Alison Lynn, Director of Social Work at the Penn Memory Center, speaks with author and advocate Lisa Marshall about her book Oh, Hello Alzheimer’s: A Caregiver’s Journey of Love.

Lisa shares the story of her husband Peter’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and the emotional complexities that followed — including her decision to end their sexual relationship. With honesty and vulnerability, she reflects on the grief, guilt, and growth that came with that choice, offering insight and solidarity to others navigating similar paths.

Resources

• This week’s Beautiful Question: What is a place with special meaning to you? Leave us a message at [phone].

• Read Lisa Marshall’s book, Oh, Hello Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Journey of Love

• Visit Lisa’s website

Special thanks to Lisa Marshall and Alison Lynn, MSW, LCSW for being a part of this episode.

The Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production hosted by Editorial Director Terrence Casey and Producer Jake Johnson, in partnership with the Penn FTD Center, the Penn Institute on Aging, and UPenn’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Contributors include Nicolette Calcavecchia, Dalia Elsaid, Jason Karlawish, Emily Largent, and Meaghan Sharp.