This comprehensive certification course will review benefits & risks of sexual expression among individuals living with dementia and complexities related to sexual expression, including hyper-sexuality knowledge of the sex partner, and capacity to consent. This workshop will review current peer-reviewed research describing the sexual expression of residents within long-term care communities (and the dilemma between the human need for affection and sexual expression versus the policies and regulations of care facilities.

Common attitudes toward sexual expression in long-term care will be reviewed. Participants will be encouraged to assess their own value system related to aging and sexuality and sexual expression in the context of dementia using the Staff Attitudes about Intimacy and Dementia Survey (SAID; Kuhn, 2002). Workshop will then explore ways in which an individual’s values surrounding sexual expression may vary from family members’ (decision making surrogate’s) values, as well as a residential system/institutional policies or values.

Current guidelines for determining sexual decision-making capacity will be reviewed and applied and vignettes and case studies will be used to challenge participants to think deeply about ethical and moral dilemmas that arise in the process of sexual consent and decision-making. Participants will be given guidelines for developing a sexual health policy and strategies for working with stakeholders (e.g., people living with dementia, family members, staff, etc).

This program will help participants identify ways that they may be consciously and unconsciously reinforcing ableism, ageism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, and other forms of oppression. The program provides tools and recommendations for dismantling these systems of oppression and promoting inclusion and equity for all people as well as recommendations for protecting human rights and dignity within LTC systems.

After attending this 15-hour program in full, participants will be able to:

15 Continuing Education (CE) Credit/15 CMC Contact Hours.

Regina Koepp, PsyD, ABPP

Dr. Regina Koepp is a board certified clinical psychologist, clinical geropsychologist, founder of the Center for Mental Health & Aging, and Vice Chair of the Georgia Psychological Association Ethics Committee. She is a sought-after speaker related to dementia and sexual expression from LeadingAge, Alzheimer’s Association, American Parkinson Disease Association, and other professional groups.

Prior to founding the Center for Mental Health & Aging, Dr. Koepp was an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and former staff psychologist at the Atlanta VA Health Care System, where she provided direct patient care and consultation on the Geropsychiatry Outpatient Mental Health team for more than a decade. She was also professor for several years at the Brenau University Masters in Applied Gerontology Program.

Dr. Koepp earned her doctorate at the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Emory University Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences where she won the Richard W. Morrell Community Commitment Award.

Financial: Regina Koepp, PsyD, ABPP is founder and owner of the Center for Mental Health & Aging (CMHA) and Co-Director of the CMHA CE Training Program. She has a private practice in Atlanta, GA.

Non-financial: Regina Koepp is a member of GPA, GGS, GSA, APA, and is vice-chair of the Ethics Committee of the Georgia Psychological Association (GPA).

The CMHA CE Training Advisory Committee independently reviews Dr. Koepp’s CE presentations to ensure that Dr. Koepp’s presentations meet the CE program requirements.

There is no known commercial support or conflict of interest for Center for Mental Health & Aging.

There is no known commercial support or conflict of interest for this CE program, content, or sponsor.