ABSTRACT
It was Simone de Beauvoir (1970) who astutely noted that “age changes our relationship with time; as the years go by our future shortens, while our past grows heavier” (p. 402). We see this in the experience of May (a pseudonym), who at age 80, and after entering aged care, who finally felt ready to disclose two key aspects about her life: that she is a lesbian and was sexually abused “at the hands of the Catholic church”. As little research has examined how aged care management and staff might manage early-life trauma or sexuality in older residents, this chapter provides an intriguing single narrative case study documenting May’s experiences as she finally felt able to acknowledge and address these significant aspects of her own unique life history.
