Transgender people living in rural Minnesota face significant health care challenges in general. But in part 3 of her WCCO In-Depth series on gender affirming care in rural Minnesota, WCCO's Taylor Rivera takes a closer look at the barriers facing the elderly, as providers adjust to care for an older generation.
Rajean Moone, Faculty Director for Long Term Care at the University of Minnesota, says a recent needs survey for senior members of the LGBTQ community showed that the patient's unique risk factors required more specialized care.
"They're more at risk for chronic conditions, less likely to have a large social support network," explains Moone. "And then the third part is the fear of being discriminated against."
A survey found that only 16 providers in the Twin Cities regularly served transgender seniors and that service in rural area is even harder to come by.
"There is a lack of educated health care professionals in many of our rural communities across the state regarding gender affirming care," he adds.
Moone says these gaps in service need to be repaired in order to better serve all patients in Minnesota.
171,000 transgender adults in the United States are 65 and older, and a major concern for them is finding accepting spaces in nursing homes and other health care facilities.
Moone says for many in rural areas, there simply may not be options.
"Some trans older adults who, their plan for long term care should they have to go into a nursing home, is essentially to kill themselves," says Moone. "Rather than go into a nursing home for fear of how they may be treated or mistreated."
He says its crucial for providers to learn about these gaps in services in order to better serve trans older adults in Minnesota.
See part 1 of WCCO's In-Depth series on gender affirming care in Minnesota here, and part 2 here. You can follow all of WCCO In Depth here.