Gay man with alzheimers turns straight
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We need to be overtly welcoming to people who have experienced a lifetime of prejudice.”
Programs like OutCare Health are helping IU School of Medicine lead this effort in Indiana. Perhaps they hadn’t yet came out publicly as transgender and the clothes they wear in private help them see themselves for who they truly are.”
Whether it’s assisted living or a nursing home, a patient’s private and public worlds merge.
Since the late 1960s, extensive research has been conducted in the search for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Even national organizations question who you are, placing labels on your chest like Hester Prynne. Mary Estrada and her wife, Peggy, would know.
“Besides memory, Alzheimer’s affects judgment, problem-solving, all high-level skills,” Apostolova said.
According to researchers at University of California, San Francisco, more than 350,000 LGBTQ+ adults are living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia3.
“I think that prejudice has led people in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly elders, to avoid health care,” said Alexia Torke, MD, professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine and research scientist at the IU Center for Aging Research.
2018, August. It made him feel very wary of people, and he felt we were being invaded when care or support was offered.
Fortunately, we had become civil partners in 2007, after 33 years, so I could at least ensure he had respectful and timely care and support. “Maybe they have a photo of a long-term partner that would encourage positive memories, but the nursing home is unaware.
Researchers believe this may be due to higher rates of clinical depression and PTSD, unemployment from discrimination in the workforce and public housing, and a lack of culturally informed healthcare providers leading to poor health outcomes.
https://www.sageusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/lgbt-dementia-issues-brief.pdf
We were criminalised until the Sexual Offences Act of 1967, which started a difficult journey to acceptance. Some were activists in large cities as others lived quietly in small, rural towns; however, the amount of prejudice they all witnessed can still be felt rippling through time, not least of which when accessing health care.
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In the Margins: Alzheimer's and LGBTQ+ Adults
It’s the 1950s and you’re a hushed secret. However, the situation is amplified as people age and become more and more dependent on others.
LGBTQ+ and Alzheimer’s
Torke, who led the initiative of drafting the American Geriatrics Society Care of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Older Adults Position Statement, is also involved in a study looking into the needs and experiences of older LGBTQ+ adults with Alzheimer’s disease and their surrogate decision-makers.According to Torke, it’s nearly impossible to avoid the health care system as you develop a disease like dementia.
“As people age and develop Alzheimer’s, they become dependent on health care providers for medications, treatment and sometimes their residence,” she said.
2019, June 28. Fifty Years After Stonewall, HRC Commemorates the Riots That Helped Spark a Movement.. https://www.hrc.org/news/50-years-after-stonewall-hrc-commemorates-the-riots-that-spaked-a-movement
2Alzheimer's Association. “I have always believed in the power of positivity. Many grew up before Stonewall1 or when it was still considered illegal to be gay.
Approximately 350,000 LGBTQ+ Americans live with dementia, and are 29% more likely to report memory loss and confusion than their straight cisgender counterparts. It also helps the person to not worry unduly about their past and helps them focus on the future.
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They don’t judge us or treat us differently.“My doctors are very supportive,” Mary said. Will my sexuality jeopardize my loved one’s health?’
From researchers implementing new clinical trials to nurses dedicating their time and energy to each hospital bed—providing care is essential to medicine, but it’s also intersectional.
“Some patients aren’t entirely ‘out’,” Torke stated.
Since receiving her diagnosis, she’s noticed her symptoms worsen but aims to find a positive outlook on her life and what she can control. Just ensure you are in a safe place when you do it.