Westwood, Sue: LGBTQ+ People and Dementia

An Lager

Bringing together research, policy and the voices of LGBTQ+ people with dementia, this good practice guide highlights the importance of a person-centred approach.

Care and support should recognise and validate different - and often intersectional - LGBTQ+ identities. Readers are encouraged to move away from the idea of equality as treating everyone the same, towards treating everyone as individuals.

The vast changes in the social and legal status of LGBTQ+ people through recent decades can uniquely affect their later lives. Dementia services are often under-prepared to meet their needs, and there can be prejudice and discrimination.

Creating LGBTQ+ inclusive services can be challenging. The book explains how to deal with these challenges, giving lots of practical examples. 'Food for thought' sections offer opportunities for reflection.

Becoming more informed about LGBTQ+ lives and creating services which are LGBTQ+ inclusive will improve the experiences of LGBTQ+ people living with dementia and encourage the best possible quality care.