Over to you

Summary

This section provides two suggested learning activities for readers that connect explicitly with the content and themes that have arisen from the two chapters in Part I. These chapters discussed what is known about older trans people's lives and care needs arising from messages from research and the significance of trans people's own perspectives and accounts on ageing and later life.

Practitioners can use these learning activities to help develop and share knowledge, skills and values that will inform the development of affirmative and person- centred support for older trans people by:

• • extending your own personal and professional knowledge through relevant desktop research or practitioner enquiry;

• • facilitating critical reflection and learning through active discussion in your team and service.

Educators and trainers can use these activities to:

• • include trans ageing issues in the education and training of the workforce;

• • guide the aim and focus of trans issues drawing on the relevant evidence provided.

Managers can use these activities to:

• • embed the relevant topics, areas and learning resources into recruitment, induction, supervision, appraisal and career progression processes;

• • keep a record of key activities that can be drawn upon in practice reviews or benchmarks to demonstrate how the needs of older trans people are being addressed, including the potential to demonstrate legal compliance during statutory regulatory activities.

Activity 1: Promoting trans affirmative communication for people in later life

Giving affirmation to every individual person is a unique and personal process. We use the umbrella term ‘gender affirmation’ to describe a range of actions that we can take to demonstrate how we are actively recognising and giving value to a person's gender identity and their desire to thrive and take joy in living, surviving and thriving as their authentic gendered selves. The following suggestions provide a guide to some of the steps you can take to support this and to stimulate discussion on your own suggestions and actions for doing so:

Activity 2: Equality monitoring in the access and experience of care and support for trans people in later life

It is the duty of public bodies to collect and monitor information on the range of people accessing and using their services in relation to the diversity of their characteristics where these are protected in legislation.