Premium
Understanding the experiences and needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans A ustralians living with dementia, and their partners
Author(s) -
Barrett Catherine,
Crameri Pauline,
Lambourne Sally,
Latham JR,
Whyte Carolyn
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12271
Subject(s) - lesbian , dementia , psychology , gerontology , medicine , psychoanalysis , disease
Aim To outline the experiences and needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans ( LGBT ) A ustralians living with dementia – and their partners. Methods In‐depth interviews were conducted with LGBT people, their partners and service providers. Results LGBT people living with dementia experience unique challenges including the failure of some families of origin and service providers to understand and value their sexual orientation or gender identity. The fear of discrimination by service providers results in greater reliance on intimate partners for care and compounds social isolation. Conclusions The unique experiences of LGBT people with dementia are not well understood. There is a need to recognise historical experiences, including familial relationships, and provide advocacy to ensure sexual and gender rights are not violated. There is also a need to ensure that the experiences and perspectives of LGBT people living with dementia inform the development of services.