SageHealth Network, an agency focusing on health promotion and positive aging workshops for older adults and seniors will be launching SilverSparks Speed Dating. Speed dating has been around for a while for younger participants and now it’s finally available for 60+ crowd. This event is perfect for you if you want to meet new people, and hopefully spark a connection in a safe, relaxed setting.
It becomes increasingly difficult to meet people as we get older. Events like SilverSparks Speed Dating helps connect participants in person and encourages socialization in a safe environment. Each participant spends 6 minutes talk time with a partner. If you like each other, you must check each other off on match cards and the rest is up to you. Contact information is only given out to participants if there is a mutual match and then you are free to explore your connection. Speed dating can lead to a meaningful and lasting connection with someone, whether friendship or romantic.
SilverSparks connects mature adults from the ages of 60-75 in the Greater Toronto Area. Be a part of the excitement and join us for our first event on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 from 2:00-4:30pm at the Duke of York (39 Prince Arthur Ave at Bloor and Bedford Road, Toronto).
The cost of this event is $20.00 and includes light appetizers. If you are interested, please visit our website to purchase your ticket at www.silversparksdating.com or contact Michele: 647-831-6630.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Introducing Zoé Hawkins: SageHealth Network Intern
Meet Zoe Hawkins, SageHealth Network’s Newest Staff:
I would like to say “hi” to current readers and welcome to new readers of this blog. For the next three to four months I will be writing for SageHealth Network’s blog site, seniorsex.blogspot.com. My name is Zoe Hawkins and I am an intern for SageHealth Network. Currently, I am completing my Masters degree in Immigration and Settlement at Ryerson University and part of the degree requirements is to complete a 150 hour placement. I am extremely excited to be working with Michele Cauch of SageHealth Network and helping to achieve its goals to educate and inform seniors on the importance of healthy sexuality and socialization. To begin, I will tell you a bit about myself.
When I graduated from high school, I was accepted to Dalhousie University into the International Development program. Although a very rewarding experience rich with intellectual stimulation, the program was not for me. After some time, I decided to accept a job at a long term care facility and jumped at the opportunity. Never having worked with seniors before, I was both nervous and excited and almost instantly, fell in love with working with older adults. I had found my calling. Perhaps different from the other employees, my approach to working with seniors took the form of patience, compassion, treating them as unique individuals and finding ways to engage them on a daily basis. Because this experience made me realize the problems associated with society’s attitude towards the elderly, I enrolled in the Gerontology program at Laurentian University in Sudbury. Being an extremely small program, I was given the chance to explore avenues which larger programs would be unable to provide. I took a myriad of courses from ethical issues, counselling, palliative care, and optimal aging. For my thesis, I decided to focus on environmental issues as it pertained to senior perceptions and attitudes, the entirety of the time I spent studying Gerontology was unbelievably humbling, stimulating and heart breaking, quite simultaneously. After some time, I decided to go back to school. Although there were many alternatives to applying for a Masters degree, such as Law school and Medical school, I eventually ended up choosing Ryerson University and was accepted the following year. Due to the wonderful friendships and experiences of teaching immigrants, the choice of program was very much an easy one; immigration and settlement. As I previously mentioned, I am in the process of completing the requirements for this particular degree and will graduate in October. Not only is the placement with SageHealth Network part of this requirement, but also a Major Research Paper similar to a thesis. This MRP will focus on the personal relationships of immigrant seniors, pre and post settlement, highlighting how settling has changed cultural attitudes, sexual attitudes, beliefs and intergenerational changes etc. I feel that this compliments my placement perfectly. All this being said, my personal belief and passion that aging can, should and will be a vivacious time filled with learning, discovery, sexuality, honesty, integrity and independence will hopefully show through the blogs I will write and post, as well as through assisting SageHealth network with its current and future workshops and endeavours.
Please feel free to post any comments or questions directed to myself or anything to do with SageHealth Network and its upcoming workshops and speed dating events. Additionally, I will be posting on a regular basis on topics such as aphrodisiacs and food, physical appearance, aging and confidence, sex and disability, foreplay vs.sex, intimacy aids, lubricants and condoms and sexy celebrities over 60, as well as many others.
If you have any suggestions or topics you would like to bring to my attention, please email me at zhawkins@sagehealthnetwork.com or comment on seniorsex.blogspot.com
Thank you,
Zoe Hawkins
SageHealth Network
I would like to say “hi” to current readers and welcome to new readers of this blog. For the next three to four months I will be writing for SageHealth Network’s blog site, seniorsex.blogspot.com. My name is Zoe Hawkins and I am an intern for SageHealth Network. Currently, I am completing my Masters degree in Immigration and Settlement at Ryerson University and part of the degree requirements is to complete a 150 hour placement. I am extremely excited to be working with Michele Cauch of SageHealth Network and helping to achieve its goals to educate and inform seniors on the importance of healthy sexuality and socialization. To begin, I will tell you a bit about myself.
When I graduated from high school, I was accepted to Dalhousie University into the International Development program. Although a very rewarding experience rich with intellectual stimulation, the program was not for me. After some time, I decided to accept a job at a long term care facility and jumped at the opportunity. Never having worked with seniors before, I was both nervous and excited and almost instantly, fell in love with working with older adults. I had found my calling. Perhaps different from the other employees, my approach to working with seniors took the form of patience, compassion, treating them as unique individuals and finding ways to engage them on a daily basis. Because this experience made me realize the problems associated with society’s attitude towards the elderly, I enrolled in the Gerontology program at Laurentian University in Sudbury. Being an extremely small program, I was given the chance to explore avenues which larger programs would be unable to provide. I took a myriad of courses from ethical issues, counselling, palliative care, and optimal aging. For my thesis, I decided to focus on environmental issues as it pertained to senior perceptions and attitudes, the entirety of the time I spent studying Gerontology was unbelievably humbling, stimulating and heart breaking, quite simultaneously. After some time, I decided to go back to school. Although there were many alternatives to applying for a Masters degree, such as Law school and Medical school, I eventually ended up choosing Ryerson University and was accepted the following year. Due to the wonderful friendships and experiences of teaching immigrants, the choice of program was very much an easy one; immigration and settlement. As I previously mentioned, I am in the process of completing the requirements for this particular degree and will graduate in October. Not only is the placement with SageHealth Network part of this requirement, but also a Major Research Paper similar to a thesis. This MRP will focus on the personal relationships of immigrant seniors, pre and post settlement, highlighting how settling has changed cultural attitudes, sexual attitudes, beliefs and intergenerational changes etc. I feel that this compliments my placement perfectly. All this being said, my personal belief and passion that aging can, should and will be a vivacious time filled with learning, discovery, sexuality, honesty, integrity and independence will hopefully show through the blogs I will write and post, as well as through assisting SageHealth network with its current and future workshops and endeavours.
Please feel free to post any comments or questions directed to myself or anything to do with SageHealth Network and its upcoming workshops and speed dating events. Additionally, I will be posting on a regular basis on topics such as aphrodisiacs and food, physical appearance, aging and confidence, sex and disability, foreplay vs.sex, intimacy aids, lubricants and condoms and sexy celebrities over 60, as well as many others.
If you have any suggestions or topics you would like to bring to my attention, please email me at zhawkins@sagehealthnetwork.com or comment on seniorsex.blogspot.com
Thank you,
Zoe Hawkins
SageHealth Network
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Successful Secrets to Intimacy
Evan Rosser, Zoomer Magazine
December 2009
The following is an excerpt from Zoomer Magazine on It may seem like a harmless way to avoid an uncomfortable subject, but the social stigma surrounding sex and aging can have harmful and lasting consequences for the 45-plus set. “Health- and mental health-care professionals may not necessarily … feel comfortable talking with their older patients/clients about their sexual life,” says Susan Silcox, a social worker employed by St. Joseph’s Health Care in London, Ont. It’s a problem that runs both ways, she explains. Older patients may also feel uncomfortable discussing their concerns, especially if the health-care professional seems reticent or embarrassed, which belies a growing desire among aging Canadians to live open and informed sex lives. As Silcox notes, “Older patients/clients … are often relieved to be able to discuss their sexuality as it affects their relationships and quality of life.”
According to Barry Worsfold, Zoomer’s resident sex expert, “The most important [thing] to learn about sex and aging is to be comfortable in and with our own sexuality.” So why the embarrassment? In the 15 years she’s spent writing about all aspects of human sexuality, Josey Vogels, syndicated sex columnist and author, has seen the extent to which, “aging and sexuality [are] marginalized at best, but more commonly just completely ignored.” But things are changing. “Boomers who grew up in the ’60s and through the sexual revolution, free love and the birth of the Pill are now getting older and realizing that they don’t want their sexuality to suddenly disappear or be ignored.” Thankfully, for older Canadians looking for information about sex and sexuality, there are experts ready and waiting. We asked a number of them to provide some advice for maintaining a healthy, active sex life at 45 and beyond.
ON THE MYTH THAT SEXUAL INTEREST DECLINES AS WE AGE
Vogels takes it as a given that “most of us simply assume that interest in sex will decline as we age. Even if the mind is willing, the body won’t be able to keep up.” Yes, aging can cause physical changes that may affect your sexuality, but the effects of these changes are usually overstated. “Unfortunately,” she says, “older people tend to limit their sexual expression and their sexual experiences as a result.” Sex is good for your health no matter your age. Nurture your sexuality by finding doctors and clinics that “will assume that you want to continue enjoying a healthy and active sex life and will help you make medical decisions accordingly.”
ON PRACTISING SAFE SEX AT ANY AGE
Silcox advises anyone reentering the dating world to educate themselves about safe sex practices and ask questions about their partner’s sexual health. Questions you need to ask your partner: How many sexual partners have they had? Are they currently sexually active with anyone else? Do they practise safe sex? Have they been tested for a sexually transmitted infection (STI)? “It’s a different dating world out there, than it was 30, 40, 50 years ago, when pregnancy may have been the primary concern,” she says. “Adults need to be proactive in protecting themselves and their partners.”
Devan Nambiar is the training and education co-ordinator for Rainbow Health Ontario, an organization that works to identify and address the broader health issues faced by LGBT communities across Ontario. Within the LGBT community, Nambiar says, “It’s important to recognize that [people] from different cultures or communities, especially as they age, are often not engaged in a discussion of safe sex.” The North American image of beauty to which people must subscribe in order to be desirable can have a damaging effect on those who don’t fit. Nambiar explains: “[Our research] found that people had a really difficult time trying to fit in and, in order to be accepted and wanted and needed, people would do whatever they felt was necessary to subscribe to that program, which could mean risky behaviour.” Regardless of whether you’re dating or in a committed relationship, there’s a “need to have an honest discussion with whomever you choose to be partnered with and find out their sexual history — in all communities.
ON RE-ENTERING THE DATING WORLD
In 35 years as an Anglican priest — 27 as a pastor — David McKenzie identified a pressing need among those who sought his counsel for advice on sex and sexuality. In 2000, he left his ministry to set up a private counselling practice in the Vancouver area. One of the biggest issues when re-entering the dating world is to make sure you’ve “unloaded the baggage of the former relationship,” McKenzie says. You have to allow the bulk of the grieving to unfold so you can move on. “Don’t try to replace that person,” he advises. Dating after 45 may be frustrating, he notes. “You’ll come across many people who’ve been hurt and become jaded. Don’t let that discourage you.”
ON SEX AS A MOTIVATION TO STAY HEALTHY
Alex McKay is the research co-ordinator of the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN). He points out that, as you age, “there is a definite feedback loop between sexual vitality and physical conditioning.” People who continue to value the sexual part of their lives have an added motivation to eat well and stay physically fit. Completing the loop, the “improved strength and cardio-vascular condition” afforded by a healthy diet and regular exercise “builds self-confidence and a sense of well-being, which tends to go hand-in-hand with increased desire for sexual activity.”
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF INTIMACY
Pega Ren is in private practice as a marriage and family counsellor specializing in sex therapy and is a regular contributor to the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy. “Young or old,” she says, “humans thrive on touch, and sex is a wonderful way to experience that touch.” Physiologically, we need sex to prevent prostate problems and vaginal atrophy; the endorphins that accompany orgasm and arousal have myriad psychological benefits; and emotionally, sex strengthens our connections to one another and heightens our sense of well-being. “Besides,” Ren says, “research tells us that most of us do not stop having sex as we get old, and as with everything else, we get better at it with practice.”
ON SEX AS A CONSTANT
Merryn Gott is a professor of health sciences at the University of Auckland, N.Z. A pioneer in the field of sex and aging, Gott published the first interview-based study exploring older peoples’ views of the role and importance of sexuality in their lives.
“The research I have done,” says Gott, “has led me to conclude that sex after 40, or indeed 80, is not so different from sex before 40.” Regardless of age, sex is defined and valued differently by different people. “One advantage of aging,” she points out, “can be an acceptance of this diversity and a letting go of anxieties about ‘what is normal.’ ” Gott stresses that sexual problems can be experienced at any age, “and being older shouldn’t be a reason for not seeking help. It is as appropriate to seek help for a sexual problem at 85 as it is at 25. It is also as important to maintain a responsible attitude to being safe. See, not so different after all!”
original link:
http://www.zoomermag.com/health/sex/relationships-romance-7-pro-secrets-to-intimacy/1605
December 2009
The following is an excerpt from Zoomer Magazine on It may seem like a harmless way to avoid an uncomfortable subject, but the social stigma surrounding sex and aging can have harmful and lasting consequences for the 45-plus set. “Health- and mental health-care professionals may not necessarily … feel comfortable talking with their older patients/clients about their sexual life,” says Susan Silcox, a social worker employed by St. Joseph’s Health Care in London, Ont. It’s a problem that runs both ways, she explains. Older patients may also feel uncomfortable discussing their concerns, especially if the health-care professional seems reticent or embarrassed, which belies a growing desire among aging Canadians to live open and informed sex lives. As Silcox notes, “Older patients/clients … are often relieved to be able to discuss their sexuality as it affects their relationships and quality of life.”
According to Barry Worsfold, Zoomer’s resident sex expert, “The most important [thing] to learn about sex and aging is to be comfortable in and with our own sexuality.” So why the embarrassment? In the 15 years she’s spent writing about all aspects of human sexuality, Josey Vogels, syndicated sex columnist and author, has seen the extent to which, “aging and sexuality [are] marginalized at best, but more commonly just completely ignored.” But things are changing. “Boomers who grew up in the ’60s and through the sexual revolution, free love and the birth of the Pill are now getting older and realizing that they don’t want their sexuality to suddenly disappear or be ignored.” Thankfully, for older Canadians looking for information about sex and sexuality, there are experts ready and waiting. We asked a number of them to provide some advice for maintaining a healthy, active sex life at 45 and beyond.
ON THE MYTH THAT SEXUAL INTEREST DECLINES AS WE AGE
Vogels takes it as a given that “most of us simply assume that interest in sex will decline as we age. Even if the mind is willing, the body won’t be able to keep up.” Yes, aging can cause physical changes that may affect your sexuality, but the effects of these changes are usually overstated. “Unfortunately,” she says, “older people tend to limit their sexual expression and their sexual experiences as a result.” Sex is good for your health no matter your age. Nurture your sexuality by finding doctors and clinics that “will assume that you want to continue enjoying a healthy and active sex life and will help you make medical decisions accordingly.”
ON PRACTISING SAFE SEX AT ANY AGE
Silcox advises anyone reentering the dating world to educate themselves about safe sex practices and ask questions about their partner’s sexual health. Questions you need to ask your partner: How many sexual partners have they had? Are they currently sexually active with anyone else? Do they practise safe sex? Have they been tested for a sexually transmitted infection (STI)? “It’s a different dating world out there, than it was 30, 40, 50 years ago, when pregnancy may have been the primary concern,” she says. “Adults need to be proactive in protecting themselves and their partners.”
Devan Nambiar is the training and education co-ordinator for Rainbow Health Ontario, an organization that works to identify and address the broader health issues faced by LGBT communities across Ontario. Within the LGBT community, Nambiar says, “It’s important to recognize that [people] from different cultures or communities, especially as they age, are often not engaged in a discussion of safe sex.” The North American image of beauty to which people must subscribe in order to be desirable can have a damaging effect on those who don’t fit. Nambiar explains: “[Our research] found that people had a really difficult time trying to fit in and, in order to be accepted and wanted and needed, people would do whatever they felt was necessary to subscribe to that program, which could mean risky behaviour.” Regardless of whether you’re dating or in a committed relationship, there’s a “need to have an honest discussion with whomever you choose to be partnered with and find out their sexual history — in all communities.
ON RE-ENTERING THE DATING WORLD
In 35 years as an Anglican priest — 27 as a pastor — David McKenzie identified a pressing need among those who sought his counsel for advice on sex and sexuality. In 2000, he left his ministry to set up a private counselling practice in the Vancouver area. One of the biggest issues when re-entering the dating world is to make sure you’ve “unloaded the baggage of the former relationship,” McKenzie says. You have to allow the bulk of the grieving to unfold so you can move on. “Don’t try to replace that person,” he advises. Dating after 45 may be frustrating, he notes. “You’ll come across many people who’ve been hurt and become jaded. Don’t let that discourage you.”
ON SEX AS A MOTIVATION TO STAY HEALTHY
Alex McKay is the research co-ordinator of the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN). He points out that, as you age, “there is a definite feedback loop between sexual vitality and physical conditioning.” People who continue to value the sexual part of their lives have an added motivation to eat well and stay physically fit. Completing the loop, the “improved strength and cardio-vascular condition” afforded by a healthy diet and regular exercise “builds self-confidence and a sense of well-being, which tends to go hand-in-hand with increased desire for sexual activity.”
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF INTIMACY
Pega Ren is in private practice as a marriage and family counsellor specializing in sex therapy and is a regular contributor to the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy. “Young or old,” she says, “humans thrive on touch, and sex is a wonderful way to experience that touch.” Physiologically, we need sex to prevent prostate problems and vaginal atrophy; the endorphins that accompany orgasm and arousal have myriad psychological benefits; and emotionally, sex strengthens our connections to one another and heightens our sense of well-being. “Besides,” Ren says, “research tells us that most of us do not stop having sex as we get old, and as with everything else, we get better at it with practice.”
ON SEX AS A CONSTANT
Merryn Gott is a professor of health sciences at the University of Auckland, N.Z. A pioneer in the field of sex and aging, Gott published the first interview-based study exploring older peoples’ views of the role and importance of sexuality in their lives.
“The research I have done,” says Gott, “has led me to conclude that sex after 40, or indeed 80, is not so different from sex before 40.” Regardless of age, sex is defined and valued differently by different people. “One advantage of aging,” she points out, “can be an acceptance of this diversity and a letting go of anxieties about ‘what is normal.’ ” Gott stresses that sexual problems can be experienced at any age, “and being older shouldn’t be a reason for not seeking help. It is as appropriate to seek help for a sexual problem at 85 as it is at 25. It is also as important to maintain a responsible attitude to being safe. See, not so different after all!”
original link:
http://www.zoomermag.com/health/sex/relationships-romance-7-pro-secrets-to-intimacy/1605
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