Over to you

Summary

This section provides three suggested learning activities for readers that connect explicitly with the content and themes that have arisen in the seven chapters in Part II. These critically examine the practices, views and attitudes of healthcare and social welfare professionals towards older trans people and have a focus on taking responsibility for education and professional development that support access to supportive and inclusive services.

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;

• • to 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 the recruitment, induction, supervision, appraisal and staff career progression process;

• • 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 3: The use of self and literacy on gender and sexual identities

Being open and accessible in how you communicate affirmation for gender diverse people in later life requires willingness and confidence in enabling individuals and their loved ones in the expression of their identities and relationships.

This reflective activity aims to promote your own awareness and insights into gender and sexual identities in later life and to identify the barriers to establishing rapport.

It draws on the social GGRRAAACCEEESSS model (Gender Geography Race Religion Age Ability Appearance Culture Class/ Caste Education Employment Ethnicity Spirituality Sexuality Sexual orientation) (Burnham, 2012) which helps practitioners to recognise factors which affect our position, powers and privileges. These factors influence relationships and interactions with others and can be used to deconstruct the power relationship between a practitioner and the older person when exploring the relevance and meaning of sexuality, sexual and gender identities, and what the practitioner or professional might bring to these interactions.