Life as a transgender woman with dementia: ‘LGBT people face particular challenges’
metro.co.ukForget Me Not appeal this month. The charity says that LGBTQ+ people with dementia can face particular challenges due to their illness.Some who have faced discrimination or stigma may feel forced back into the closet, or their dementia could mean they feel they are still living in those times.Trans people with dementia may go back to a time before they transitioned, which can be distressing and confusing.Some LGBTQ+ people may feel isolated as they may have no long-term partner or family to support them.Andrea says she has not personally experienced major problems after coming out as trans, except for some comments from people online. ‘I don’t have a problem with who I am, and I don’t expect others to,’ she said.‘People have learnt to accept me for being trans and for my dementia diagnosis.’But she says she knows many others are not as lucky, and so she wants to speak about her experiences to try and tackle the stigma.‘LGBTQ+ people have their own particular challenges,’ said Andrea. ‘They may face discrimination from a doctor, health professional or members of the public.
It shouldn’t happen in this day and age but unfortunately, it still does.‘Carers and medical professionals need to be aware of these additional challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people so the right support can be put in place.’Andrea spent more than 40 years living as Andy before she transitioned, saying she always felt something was not right but didn’t know people could be transgender when she was young.‘I remember when I was three, I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t allowed to wear dresses like the other girls’ she recalled. ‘I’d ask my mum and she’d say, “Boys don’t do that.” I always felt like I was in the wrong kind of body.‘When I first found out about.
