Intimacy in Other Relationships

Many older people find intimacy in relationships that do not involve partners. Pleasures derived from sharing time and experience with friends, grandchildren or other family members, young students or trainees, or caregivers may provide tremendous satisfaction different from but equally important to that of a partner. And despite the definition of intimacy as a close feeling shared between two people, many older people find intimacy in interactions with their dogs, cats, or other pets. Caring for a pet engenders many of the same feelings of intimacy present in human relationships but with fewer complications. And some animals are capable of giving and returning affection. Indeed, the purchase of a pet for an older person can, under proper circumstances, bring companionship and intimacy that greatly improves quality of life.