Gender Identity, Sexuality, and LGBTI Perspectives in Swedish Dementia Care Policies

Abstract

This study aims to explore articulations of gender identity, sexuality, and LGBTI perspectives in national as well as local dementia care policies and guidelines in Sweden. The analysis of the documents is influenced by Bacchi’s WPR–approach. The analysis illustrates how there is a general silence on gender identity, sexuality, and LGBTI perspectives in policy. LGBTI perspectives tend to be addressed separately from people with dementia and most often present as potential grounds for discrimination. LGBTI people with dementia appear to be non–existent, and gender identity and sexuality irrelevant to dementia care and person–centered approaches, and by extension irrelevant to personhood.