Smart Talk: Can those with dementia consent?; Transgender challenges
What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, April 20, 2015:
Are people with dementia capable of consenting to sex? A recent case in Iowa in which a husband was charged with sexually abusing his wife after the couple had sex raises that question.
When Donna Lou Rayhons was admitted to a nursing home diagnosed with dementia her team of caregivers determined that she would be unable to give consent for sexual contact. However, some experts argue that a person’s inability to retain memories does not prohibit them from desiring affection from a spouse. With more than 20 years of experience in elder law, Katherine Pearson of Penn State Dickinson School of Law and Penn State Hershey neuropsychologuist Dr. Claire Flaherty, join us Monday on Smart Talk to discuss the case.
Claire Flaherty and Katherine Pearson
One of the nation’s largest transgender conferences has met annually for seven years here in Harrisburg. The conference organizer TransCentral PA is among the most active organizations for transgender people, and has been serving the Central PA transgender community and providing gender education to local businesses and organizations since 1989.
While progress is being made, transgender Pennsylvanians still face issues of discrimination and the variety of costs associated with legally changing their gender.
Joanne Carroll, president of TransCentral PA joins us Monday on Smart Talk to discuss the educational and economic impacts of the Keystone Conference on the Capitol region, as well as the progress and continued challenges that transgender Pennsylvanians face. Also joining the discussion will be therapist and social worker Alexis Lake, who works with LGBTQ patients and specializes in gender identity issues.
Joanne Carroll and Alexis Lake
For an update on the Rayhons case written by Katherine Pearson: http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/elder_law/
