Yes, the elderly date, too.

Just like “young folks,” people in older generations look to connect with others on a social, emotional, and physical level. A quick Google search reveals many online dating sites specific to seniors, and this vast list indicates how prevalent elderly dating is. Here are a few different issues we’ve come across with the elderly and dating.

Parents and dating: The thought of your parent dating might be one of the hardest things to imagine if he or she is dating someone new. It might be especially difficult if it comes after the loss of their significant other. The new couple can most likely relate to one another’s experience with aging, and they may also bond if they have the same physical illness or condition. If there is a large age difference or you have other reservations, you may want to consider these reservations more closely if the person brings positivity to your parent.

Sex and the elderly: In a New York Times op-ed from January 2014, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel shares the startling trends in Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) among elderly: “The Department of Health and Human Services released a little-noticed report on Medicare a few months ago…The number of Medicare enrollees who took advantage of free STD tests is about the same as the number who received free colonoscopies to screen for colon cancer, amounting to about 5 percent of all those on Medicare.” As he says, this might not be surprising to everyone, as “…retirement communities and assisted living facilities are becoming like college campuses. They cram a lot of similarly aged people together, and when they do, things naturally happen.”

Clinicians need to be aware and open about this trend to prevent problems from arising. According to A Place for Mom, many STDs may be untreated in seniors because they’re hard to detect and they are so unexpected; also, STDs can actually make chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease worse. As a caregiver, as hard as it may be, it’s possible that you may want to have the “birds and the bees” talk with your elderly parent.

Dementia patients date: People who suffer from memory loss are also capable of finding connections with others. In the critically-acclaimed movie, Away from Her, starring Julie Christie, an aging married couple begins to feel the tensions of the wife suffering from Alzheimer’s. The wife moves into a long-term care facility. After some time, her husband visits and realizes his wife has connected with a mute, wheelchair-bound man who has made her happy. Obviously, this new relationship is difficult for the husband to understand, but as the film progresses, he finally comes to terms it. Away from Her was a beautiful movie and rated number six on Roger Ebert’s best movies of 2007. This movie was directed by Sarah Polley and was an adaptation of Alice Munro’s short story "The Bear Came Over theMountain" in The New Yorker.