IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/clnure/v33y2024i5p277-284.html

Caring for the Older Transgender Adults: Social, Nursing, and Medical Challenges

Author

Listed:
  • Charalampos Milionis
  • Ioannis Ilias
  • Stella Olga Milioni
  • Evaggelia Venaki
  • Eftychia Koukkou

Abstract

Aging is a challenging process for people with gender nonconformity. Indeed, the older transgender population faces several disparities in accessing and using health care and social support services. Furthermore, the clinical management of gender transition in later life is empirical since clear research evidence is lacking. This paper aimed to present the problems encountered by older transgender adults in their access to social support and health care and to propose insightful solutions to address them both from a social and medical/nursing perspective. Trans elders face profound disparities in health and social care due to factors associated with limited accessibility to health services, social restrictions, administrative failures, and physical vulnerabilities. The medical treatment of older transgender adults also needs a careful approach to achieve satisfying gender affirmation without clinically significant risks. The potential induction of hormone-sensitive malignancies and the provocation of major adverse vascular events are the main concerns. Gender transition in older adults without a prior history of following gender-affirming therapy is challenging due to biological factors related to advanced age. Caring for elderly trans people unfolds at multiple levels. International organizations and governmental bodies should address the underprivileged status of elderly transgender people by creating and implementing inclusive policies. Safe and respectful clinical and residential environments and the formation of clearer medical guidelines could meet the unique needs of older trans adults. Care providers must advocate for their patients and be equipped to provide safe and effective services.

Suggested Citation

  • Charalampos Milionis & Ioannis Ilias & Stella Olga Milioni & Evaggelia Venaki & Eftychia Koukkou, 2024. "Caring for the Older Transgender Adults: Social, Nursing, and Medical Challenges," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 33(5), pages 277-284, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:clnure:v:33:y:2024:i:5:p:277-284
    DOI: 10.1177/10547738241231054
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10547738241231054
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/10547738241231054?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stroumsa, D., 2014. "The state of transgender health care: Policy, law, and medical frameworks," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(3), pages 31-38.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luca Fumarco & Benjamin Harrell & Patrick Button & David Schwegman & E Dils, 2020. "Gender Identity, Race, and Ethnicity-based Discrimination in Access to Mental Health Care: Evidence from an Audit Correspondence Field Experiment," NBER Working Papers 28164, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. M. Killian Kinney & Darren Cosgrove, 2022. "“Truly Listen to Us”: Recommendations for Health Professionals to Bolster Wellbeing of Nonbinary Individuals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-22, July.
    3. María Eugenia Socías & Brandon D L Marshall & Inés Arístegui & Virginia Zalazar & Marcela Romero & Omar Sued & Thomas Kerr, 2014. "Towards Full Citizenship: Correlates of Engagement with the Gender Identity Law among Transwomen in Argentina," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-6, August.
    4. Goldberg, Abbie E. & Tornello, Samantha & Farr, Rachel & Smith, JuliAnna Z. & Miranda, Liam, 2020. "Barriers to adoption and foster care and openness to child characteristics among transgender adults," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    5. Nicole A. Francisco, 2021. "Bodies in Confinement: Negotiating Queer, Gender Nonconforming, and Transwomen’s Gender and Sexuality behind Bars," Laws, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-17, June.
    6. Welty, Heather, 2025. "“Creating ourselves:” A qualitative analysis of DIY HRT practices in nonbinary adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 373(C).
    7. Ashley Shank & Emily Troshynski, 2024. "Can the Cultural Transmission of Trans-Affirming Values Serve as a Protective Factor for Transgender/Gender-Nonconforming Youth?," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-23, August.
    8. Davide Costa, 2023. "Transgender Health between Barriers: A Scoping Review and Integrated Strategies," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-29, May.
    9. M Eugenia Socías & Jean Shoveller & Chili Bean & Paul Nguyen & Julio Montaner & Kate Shannon, 2016. "Universal Coverage without Universal Access: Institutional Barriers to Health Care among Women Sex Workers in Vancouver, Canada," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-15, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:clnure:v:33:y:2024:i:5:p:277-284. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.