Inventing Sex

While doing psychiatric consultations at an Assisted Living facility, I sat in on a residents’ council meeting,

where twenty people mostly in their 80s and largely cognitively intact, discussed issues of concern.

Various matters came up—dining room service; Sunday brunches; and other communal issues. The social worker leading the discussion was about 35 years old and seemed to relate to the residents in a slightly patronizing way. Sitting at the back of the room, I said nothing.

The topic of gro...