We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 January 2025
The big messages
In this final chapter, we revisit the ‘big takeaway messages’ for health, community and social care practitioners that are woven across the chapters in this book, and we identify some future directions in research for supporting trans people in later life and developing trans- inclusive research and practice. In relation to improving care experiences across health and social care systems, a resounding message is the importance of developing and delivering a person- centred, person- led approach to care that is collaborative and centred on the wishes and preferences of older trans people as the experts on their lives. Promoting the autonomy of older trans people is an underpinning principle for delivering trans- inclusive and affirming practice.
Numerous authors in this book have stressed the importance of adopting an intersectional lens for better understanding older trans people's lives and the heterogeneity among this population. We would add to this the diversity between different generations of older trans people, as noted in Heyam's chapter (Chapter 10) on trans histories. Experiences of earlier life points will vary according to different generational cohorts in parallel with the chronological points when trans individuals ‘come out’ as trans. An intersectional lens deepens understanding of the complex connections between ageism and cisgenderism, and how these points of social marginalisation can undermine positive ageing experiences for trans people. The importance of recognising and assessing the social support networks of older trans people is another critical theme, taking into account the complexity of relationships with family members over time, potential experiences of familial estrangement and the scope of ‘families of choice’ for providing support in later life. A final resounding message is the ethical responsibility of helping professionals, such as social workers, community workers and healthcare professionals, to advocate for older trans individuals and to ensure that services for and accessed by older people are trans inclusive, cisnormative- critical and safe to access. As noted by Castle and Kimberley in their chapter, affirming experiences accessing healthcare will then lead to individuals feeling more willing to seek out healthcare services and clinicians.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
