'My pet can't come with me': Pets as a barrier against moving into supported accommodation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of pet ownership on older people's decision to move to supported accommodation. METHODS: Online survey. RESULTS: Older Australians who were current or past pet owners were invited to complete an online survey, with 193 participants providing valid data. Almost two-thirds of the respondents who said they did not intend to move in the foreseeable future (n = 85) said their pet was an important reason. When asked to rate which factors would be hardest to come to terms with if they had to move because they needed more assistance in future, three groups emerged: the first group (37%) thought the impact on their pet of moving would not be difficult and the pet was not an important reason for staying in their current home. The second group (36%) were the opposite; they believed there would be a negative impact on their pet if they moved and the pet was an important reason for them to stay. The final group (27%) thought their pet was not an important reason to stay in their current location but if they did have to move, the impact on the pet would be quite difficult. No one fell into the category of identifying that their pet was an important reason to stay but having to move would have no impact on the animal. CONCLUSIONS: Many older people think about their pets when making a decision to move house, including considering whether a move to supported accommodation will be difficult for their pet. A perceived absence of pet-friendly supported accommodation may be contributing to sub-optimal decision-making by older people.

Health equity for trans and gender-diverse Australians: addressing the inverse care law through the provision of gender-affirming health care in the primary healthcare setting.

BACKGROUND: Equitable access to gender-affirming hormone treatment (GAHT) for trans and gender-diverse people has been identified as a key factor in addressing rates of poor health outcomes in the trans and gender-diverse community. In Australia, GAHT is largely delivered via a medical model, and within acute care facilities. Medicalisation and pathologisation of gender-affirming care acts as a significant barrier to access for many trans and gender-diverse individuals. METHODS: This project incorporated a case study approach using multiple methods to investigate a recent community sponsored, co-designed program providing GAHT that included a peer navigator (PN) model of care in a primary healthcare (community health) setting. RESULTS: Service activity in Year 1 and Year 2 demonstrated acceptability of the model, with over 1000 appointments delivered. This was supported by client feedback survey data collected at their initial (n =110) and then 6-months post visit (n =78) with the PN, and 31 interviews with clients, staff and stakeholders. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight the integral nature of the PN to the sustainability of the program, with some key insights into potential barriers. Basing service design on an Informed Consent model recognises the agency of the individual and their right to equitable access to health care of their choosing.