- Adelman, M.. (2016). Overcoming Barriers to Care for LGBT Elders with Alzheimer’s. Generations, 40(2), 38–40. doi:10.2307/26556198. [URL]
- Baril, A., Silverman, M., Gauthier, M., & Lévesque, M.. (2021). Souhaits oubliés : documents de fin de vie des personnes trans vivant avec une démence aux marges des changements juridiques. GLAD! Revue sur le langage, le genre, les sexualités, 10, 1–28. doi:10.1017/cls.2020.13.
- Baril, A., Silverman, M., Gauthier, M., & Lévesque, M.. (2020). Forgotten Wishes: End-of-Life Documents for Trans People with Dementia at the Margins of Legal Change. Canadian Journal of Law and Society Revue Canadienne Droit et Société, 1–24. doi:10.1017/cls.2020.13.
[Résumé]Literature on the topic of trans older adults has documented a few anecdotal cases in which some trans people living with dementia forgot they transitioned and reidentified with their sex assigned at birth ({\textquotedblleft}detransition{\textquotedblright}). Trans commu- nities and their allies have encouraged trans people to engage in end-of-life planning, including the preparation of legal documents that state their wishes regarding gender identity and expression in the event of {\textquotedblleft}incapacity{\textquotedblright} caused by dementia. While useful, we contend that end-of-life planning is often implicitly based on cisnormative and cognonormative (normative system based on cog- nitive abilities) assumptions. Such planning is founded on a stable notion of gender identity throughout the life course ({\textquotedblleft}post-transition{\textquotedblright}) and assumes that the pre-dementia self is better equipped to make decisions than the {\textquotedblleft}demented{\textquotedblright} self. We conclude by encouraging, based on an intersectional, trans-affirmative, crip-positive, and age-positive approach, respect for the agency of trans people with dementia.
- Baril, A., & Silverman, M.. (2019). Forgotten lives: Trans older adults living with dementia at the intersection of cisgenderism, ableism/cogniticism and ageism. Sexualities, 29(7), 136346071987683–15. doi:10.1177/1363460719876835.
[Résumé]There is little research at the international level to help us understand the experiences and needs of trans people living with dementia, despite population aging and the grow- ing numbers of trans people including the first cohort of trans older adults. There is a need to understand the widespread barriers, discrimination and mistreatment faced by trans people in the health and social service system, and the fears trans people express about aging and dementia. Anecdotal evidence from the scarce literature on the topic of LGBTQ populations and dementia suggest that cognitive changes can impact on gender identity. For example, trans older adults with dementia may forget they transitioned and reidentify with their sex/gender assigned at birth or may experience {‘}gender confusion.{’} This raises crucial questions, for example regarding practices related to pronouns, care to the body (shaving, hair, clothes, etc.), social gendered interactions, health care (con- tinuing or not hormonal therapy) and so on. This article fills a gap in current literature by offering a first typology of responses offered by academics who analyzed the topic of dementia and gender identity, to trans older adults with dementia who may be experi- encing {‘}gender confusion,{’} namely: (1) a gender neutralization approach; (2) a transaf- firmative stable approach; and (3) a trans-affirmative fluid approach. After providing critical reflections regarding each approach, we articulate the foundations of a fourth paradigm, rooted in an interdisciplinary dialogue regarding the interlocking systems of oppression faced by trans older adults with dementia, namely ageism, ableism/sanism, and cisgenderism.
- Barrett, C., Crameri, P., Lambourne, S., Latham, J. R., & Whyte, C.. (2015). Understanding the experiences and needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans Australians living with dementia, and their partners. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 34, 34–38. doi:10.1111/ajag.12271.
- Brown, M. J., & Patterson, R.. (2020). Subjective Cognitive Decline among Sexual and Gender Minorities: Results from a US Population-Based Sample. Journal of Alzheimers Disease, 73(2), 477–487. doi:10.3233/JAD-190869.
- Correro, A. N., & Nielson, K. A.. (2020). A Review of Minority Stress as a Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Elders. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 24(1), 2–19. doi:10.1080/19359705.2019.1644570.
- van Heesewijk BSc, J. O., Koen M A Dreijerink MD, P., Chantal M Wiepjes MD, P., PhD, A. K. A. L., van Schoor PhD, N. M., PhD, M. H., Martin den Heijer MD, P., & Baudewijntje P.C. Kreukels PhD. (2021). Long-Term Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy and Cognitive Functioning in Older Transgender Women Compared With Cisgender Women and Men. AJO-DO Clinical Companion, 18(8), 1434–1443. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.05.013. [URL]
- Hsieh, N., Liu, H., & Lai, W.. (2021). Elevated Risk of Cognitive Impairment Among Older Sexual Minorities: Do Health Conditions, Health Behaviors, and Social Connections Matter?. The Gerontologist, 61(3), 352–363. doi:10.1093/geront/gnaa136.
- Hunter, C., Bishop, J., & Westwood, S.. (2016). The complexity of trans*/gender identities: Implications for dementia care. In Westwood, S., & Price, E. (Eds.), In Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Individuals Living with Dementia: Concepts, Practice and Rights (, pp. 124–137). London: Routledge.
- Nowaskie, D. Z., & Sewell, D. D.. (2021). Assessing the LGBT cultural competency of dementia care providers. Alzheimers and Dementia, 1–10. doi:10.1002/trc2.12137.
- Peel, E., Taylor, H., & Harding, R.. (2016). Sociolegal and practice implications of caring for LGBT people with dementia. Nursing Older People, 28(10), 26–30. doi:10.7748/nop.2016.e852.
[Résumé]The needs of LGBT people living with dementia are poorly recognised due, in part, to assumptions that all older people are heterosexual, together with persistent ageist stereotypes that older people are asexual. LGBT older adults are more likely to reside in care homes as a quarter of gay and bisexual men and half of lesbian and bisexual women have children, compared to 90% of heterosexual women and men. Older LGBT people may be unwilling to express their identity within care settings and this can have an impact on their ongoing care. Recognition of the members of an older person{’}s informal care network is crucial for their ongoing involvement in the life of a person resident in a care setting. However, healthcare professionals may not always appreciate that LGBT people may rely more on their family of choice, or their wider social network, than their family of origin. This article explores socio-legal issues that may be encountered when caring for older LGBT people living with dementia, including enabling autonomy, capacity and applying the legal frameworks in ways which support the identities and relationships of these older people in care.
- Perales-Puchalt, J., Gauthreaux, K., Flatt, J., Teylan, M. A., Resendez, J., Kukull, W. A., Chan, K. C., Burns, J., & Vidoni, E. D.. (2019). Risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment among older adults in same-sex relationships. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 34(6), 828–835. doi:10.1002/gps.5092.
- Silverman, M., & Baril, A.. (2021). Transing dementia: Rethinking compulsory biographical continuity through the theorization of cisism and cisnormativity. Journal of Aging Studies, 1–9. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2021.100956.
- Westwood, S., & Price, E.. (2016). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Individuals Living with Dementia: Concepts, Practice and Rights. London: Routledge.
- Westwood, S., & Knocker, S.. (2016). One-day training courses on LGBT* awareness – are they the answer?. In Westwood, S., & Price, E. (Eds.), In Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Individuals Living with Dementia: Concepts, Practice and Rights (, pp. 155–167). London: Routledge.
- Westwood, S.. (2016). Dementia, women and sexuality: How the intersection of ageing, gender and sexuality magnify dementia concerns among lesbian and bisexual women. Dementia, 15, 1494–1514. doi:10.1177/1471301214564446. [URL]
- Witten, T. M.. (2016). Trans* people anticipating dementia care: Findings from the Transgender MetLife Survey. In Westwood, S., & Price, E. (Eds.), In Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Individuals Living with Dementia: Concepts, Practice and Rights (, pp. 110–123). London: Routledge.