Lust op leeftijd: tijd om waarderend te luisteren naar ouderen over seksualiteit

It is high time to break the persistent silence surrounding sexuality in later life. In elderly care, sexuality often remains a taboo, despite increasing attention to autonomy and person-centred care. Older adults experience that professionals feel ill at ease addressing the topic or consider their sexual needs irrelevant. This is not only a missed opportunity for good care, but also for a broader, more inclusive view of sexuality. In this opinion piece, we give older adults themselves a voice, based on the research and video project Lust op Leeftijd, in which they openly share their desires, discoveries, and limitations. Their stories show that old age does not mark the end of sexuality, but rather invites a richer and more diverse experience of it. We advocate for an appreciative, open approach: listening to the stories of older adults, legitimizing sexuality as an essential part of care, and learning from their perspectives. Only then do we acknowledge older adults as full partners in the societal conversation on sexuality. Not because they need our empathy, but because we need their wisdom.