UVA Nurses Study the Needs of Transgender Seniors

University of Virginia (UVA) Professor Cathy Campbell says transgender seniors are especially vulnerable at the end of their lives, and sometimes hide their gender from healthcare providers out of fear of mistreatment and discrimination, reports UVA Today . "Some caregivers proselytize, try to convert people, and might even withhold care because of their own biases," Campbell notes. UVA Health is involved in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's annual Healthcare Equality Index program, offering learning opportunities and on-demand courses each year through the National LGBTQ Health and Education Center and the Human Rights Campaign's Center for Affiliated Learning to ensure doctors understand and are dedicated to compassionate and holistic care of LGBTQ recipients. Campbell and UVA nurse Lauren Catlett co-authored a case study examining the social and spiritual needs of a senior transgender woman dying of esophageal cancer published in the Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care Nursing . The final product was a book that related the woman's story, which Catlett describes as "an important work not only because it highlights the story of somebody who was marginalized in society, but also because it was a larger human story, and really spoke to themes we all can relate to: acceptance, forgiveness, transformation, hope." Catlett adds that transgender seniors see volunteerism as a form of spiritual expression. Campbell stresses that "acknowledging the configuration of family is extremely important" for dying transgender persons.