It wasn’t that long ago that I simply didn’t even see myself having a future, let alone growing old (Picture: Fox Fisher for Metro.co.uk)

Let’s face it – we’re not getting any younger, and growing old is inevitable.

But many care homes are at a crisis — and our older generations are getting stuck in hospital beds or in bad conditions, where they aren’t looked after properly.



For some, there are also added layers that might make their experience and treatment in care even more difficult.

This certainly is the case for older trans people, as for the first time in the history of the UK we are seeing rising numbers of trans people entering into care.



This is because trans people in the UK are finally allowed to grow old now as themselves, and are no longer doomed to a life of secrecy, shame and silence — but instead are allowed to thrive.



The rise in transgender people entering care homes poses a new set of challenges for care providers, as trans people might have very specific needs that need addressing.



Transphobia is still very much alive in the UK, and there are examples of serious neglect where trans people have not been cared for properly in care homes.



I’ve been fortunate enough to have a chance to work on a series of films through a project known as My Genderation in cooperation with the Trans Ageing and Care Project, and we recently launched a social media campaign called #GrowingOlderAsMe.


The campaign highlights the hopes, fears and thoughts that trans people are having about growing older as trans. Through this project, I’ve learned a great deal about some of the challenges facing older trans people.

Many fear how they will be received by staff or other people living in care homes, and if their needs will be met.

As Catherine Burton, a 66 year old retired pilot, said:



‘[…] transgender people might have needs that are not necessarily obvious to care workers.

‘A trans woman that suddenly isn’t capable of looking after her facial hair in a way that she has grown accustomed to, or a trans woman that has to wear a wig, and then has to be seen by care workers without it, who may not perhaps take the greatest care of presenting them to the other people living in the home.’

Other issues include assumptions that care workers might have about their body parts, specific care that they might need due to having had surgery (or not), and the frightening thought of getting dementia and not remembering that they had physically and socially transitioned.

This is a real fear for many and is already happening, as Jenny-Anne Bishop, one of the key players in the Trans Ageing and Care Project, said:

‘If I as an older trans person had to go into care because I was starting to get Alzheimer’s, would they see my trans status as confusion?

‘Or would I get to a point where I suddenly think: Why is my body like this? I am not supposed to be out.’



As someone who is still quite young, it’s not really something I have thought about in great detail.

It wasn’t that long ago that I simply didn’t even see myself having a future, let alone growing old.



Growing old as a man terrified me. It was only after I was able to start living my life as myself and physically transition that I actually saw a life for myself.

If it hadn’t been for that, I wouldn’t be here.



It’s easy to be swept away by the relentless transphobia in the media that continues to trivialise and give platform to ill-informed opinions, instead of focusing on actual tangible challenges.

But after working on this project, it’s become more clear to me than ever that there are some serious issues in relation to older trans people that cannot continue to go ignored.



And these challenges will not necessarily be solved by creating ‘LGBT-friendly’ specific care homes as some have suggested — not only is it unrealistic to expect such homes to be established widely enough, but also unlikely to be established unless it’s through private care, which would only be accessible to wealthier people.

This wouldn’t solve the problems we currently have within social care environments.

The only reliable way to deal with these challenges is to make sure that all care homes and their staff are equipped to deal with the needs of trans people, and that issues of transphobia among staff or members living in the care home are addressed and solved.



We need to ensure that no one is facing barriers and discrimination because of their gender identity, sexual orientation, their ethnic background, physical ability, their socio-economic status or any other dimensions that make up who they are.



It’s not a matter of choice to grow old – but it is a matter of choice how we as a society treat people in their old age.


So let’s make sure that everyone can live the last years of their lives with dignity and assurance that their needs will be met and respected.



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