P159 On the road: delivering sexual health services to vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach areas

Abstract The issue of seniors’ sexuality, especially the aspect of sexual activity undertaken by people considered “old” is usually met with silence or even condemned. The stereotypical assumptions are that with age a person’s needs associated with feeling and realizing their own sexuality dissipate, and seniors are perceived as asexual beings. Only in the last decades of the XX century did this area of “taboo” become the subject of in-depth scientific interest and research. The average life span is increasing, and as research shows, so is the number of people who are sexually active and satisfied with intercourse at an elderly age. For hundreds of years, in Western culture, sexual health was equated with reproductive ability. The contemporary concept of health emphasizes that it is a value which allows a person to realize aspirations regardless of age. This article focuses on the content of guides which bring up the importance of seniors’ sexual health. The aestheticization characteristic of the late modern period forces a deconstruction of the concept of old age. In the rhetoric of the everyday and the narcissistic style of the realm of experts, experiencing old age simultaneously becomes a source of pleasure, as well as frustration on the road to an individual’s self-realization and self-creation.

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On the Road to Well-Being: The Development of a Communication Framework for Sexual Health

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/00333549131282s105 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 128 (2_suppl1) ◽

pp. 43-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Susan J. Robinson ◽

Adam Stellato ◽

Jennifer Stephens ◽

Susan Kirby ◽

Ann Forsythe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Health ◽

Well Being ◽

The Road ◽

Communication Framework ◽

On The Road

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An exploration of the experiences of Australian Grey Nomads travelling with chronic conditions

Australian Journal of Primary Health ◽

10.1071/py17043 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 183 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kaara Ray B. Calma ◽

Elizabeth Halcomb ◽

Moira Stephens

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Mixed Method ◽

Medical Records ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

The Road ◽

Telephone Interviews ◽

Living Well ◽

On The Road ◽

Qualitative Phase ◽

Inductive Thematic Analysis

Internationally, the population is ageing and people are living well, longer. In Australia, extended travelling has gained popularity among older Grey Nomads due to time and opportunity post retirement. However, there is limited research available focusing on older Australians’ health while travelling. This paper reports the qualitative phase of a larger mixed-method project that explores the experience of Australian Grey Nomads travelling with chronic conditions. Eight Grey Nomads participated in telephone interviews. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Two themes emerged, namely: continuity of care while travelling and experts on the road. Participants described encountering a fragmented health system, with challenges regarding finding health services; a lack of shared medical records; and difficulties accessing regular medications. Despite these challenges, participants demonstrated health preparedness, an ability to accommodate health on the road, and were all travelling for their health. This study highlights key systems issues that challenge health care while travelling, and identifies opportunities for both usual practices and rural health services to enhance the care provided to this group.

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