Sexual Orientation and Occupation: Some Issues to Consider When Working with Older Gay People to Meet Their Occupational Needs

Abstract

The surge of people now entering their older adult lives in many societies, including the United Kingdom, makes understanding and meeting the occupational needs of this population paramount. For many older gay people, growing up presented a unique set of challenges, some of which may still be experienced as barriers to realizing and/or overcoming their occupational needs. Sexual orientation is understood as one of many factors that can impact upon the individual experience of occupation and justice, and this opinion piece highlights four of the potential threats to occupational justice for some older gay people. It proposes that such challenges have triggered associated occupational needs for some older gay people — needs that remain largely obscure and unrecognized in occupational therapy literature.

Please note: The term ‘gay’ has been chosen for the purpose of this opinion piece to refer to anyone who has intimate same-sex relationships or feelings.