Until now, there has been little information available about the opinions and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults in long-term care settings.
While most LGBT elders would prefer to receive long term services and supports at home, traditional support systems may be limited or unavailable and alternatives such as assisted living or nursing homes may be necessary
Here you will find video stories and dozens of personal comments capturing varied experiences with long-term care of LGBT older adults, their loved ones, advocates, and the providers who care for them.
You will also find an overview of legal rights, a list of helpful resources as well as a place to share your own story.
Well-known lesbian activist Phyllis Lyon talks about her concerns about long-term care and offers a suggestion.
Stevie Lee nailed it! We all know that actions speak louder than words. Culture Change, we are told, is the way of the future in nursing homes. Until we have compassionate & caring individuals – across the board caring for our elderly whether they are in a nursing home or still living in the community, culture change will never become a reality. Some nursing homes believe they have welcomed culture change because they gave their halls a face lift with some paint, pictures and a new name. (Hall 100 is now called Lavender Street.) That is NOT culture change. Culture change is when you treat every individual, i.e., black, white, pink, purple, straight, gay, bisexual or transgendered with the same dignity and respect that you, the Administrator, Director of Nursing, Dir. of SS, RN, LPN, CMT, CNA, Housekeeping & Laundry personnel, Maintenance man, etc….would expect and want to be treated. These are human beings that can no longer care for themselves and they have turned to the professionals for assistance. They are trusting these professionals to care for them. We tell our residents that this is there home and they have rights. Yet, some are still told what time to get up in the morning and what time they are to go to bed a night. Residents that need total assistance are dressed in what ever combination of clothing their CNA happens to find in their closet or drawer whether the colors go together or not – whether the zipper works or not- stained shirts and pants, ripped waist lines from being pulled by staff when being transferred – need I go on? KNOW YOUR RESIDENTS! Listen to what they are saying. Pay attention to how they maybe feeling. DO NOT dismiss them because they’re eldery or suffer from dementia or a mental illness. Remember this; a need for Long Term Care shows no discrimination against age, color, sexual orientation or economic status. Nursing homes are being filled with younger, diverse individuals everyday. I probably need to stop here.
My experience on having visited elderly family or friend in the US in nursing is abuse of all king on any elderly not only in the nursing but by the appointed guardian that has the power to keep family and friend away while depleting the elder of all their property with the Judge and Lawyer blessing .
You can certainly link to the Web site or mention in your blog.
Hello
I was until 2007 a gay activist and researcher in the United Kingdom. I researched into LGBT Housing, Health and Social Care needs between 2003-2005 and in 2006 undertook a major research and development project for the Department of Health which resulted in a set of Core Training Standards for for sexual orientation in the National Health Service
Thank You! There are a number of organizations involved in this project and it is your choice whom to support. I’d suggest visiting each (click on authors) and choosing the one that is working on the things you most care about.
I live in senior housing, not assisted living, and its just as bad here IF you have no one like I do. I will independent as long as Im able, and deal with Waiver. But that is not an end to a means.
Dina’s comments are right on tract. We so often think of our LGBT friends and community as family. Thus we should be developing groups of “visiting friends” to regularly go to all types of Long Term Care Facilities, Hospitals, Day Centers, Senior Housing etc – developing a presence as a caring community – participating in Family Councils, staff orientations . and aging services networks. Our professionals – MSWs – MD’s, Nurses, Nutritionists and the like can be up front advisors. Younger people, as well, should be part of mutual intergenerational support.
My thoughts are those of an elder lesbian and retired Federal Government Long Term Care Surveyor.
Hi all,
A few of us gay seniors huddle pitifully around each others’ apartments. Although we can walk (or wheel) the half-mile to the Granite Reef Senior Center, our efforts to commence a LGBTQ Seniors group have failed. Homophobia – especially strong here from the “religious wrong” in predominantly GOP Scottsdale, ARIZONA is disturbing. Haters here still get away with assaults on minorities of every stripe. No turning to a “higher power” like the Maricopa County Sheriff – the infamous Joe Arpiao – some say he and/or his posse members are some of the instigators! I don’t know.
Anyway, we do the best we can in our “low income senior/disabled” apartment complex. We have not been able to garner any interest in our plight from One Voice LGBTQ Community Center. They say to go there, but we are old & poor. They should come here – we are waiting!
PEACE & LOVE,
Reed, PROGRESSIVE INTERNET ACTIVIST (not so active, anymore.)
If I understand your concern, it has to do with poor care from home health agencies. NSCLC does not offer individual case advice, but if you need legal help visit our resources section and contact one of the organizations listed there that seems to best fit your concern.
Thank you for your comment. I suggest you contact National Center for Transgender Equality about volunteering. A link to their Web site is under authors on the LGBT Older Adults in Long Term Care Web site. Also, if you have a story to share, please fill out the form on the site.
I can relate to 2 sides of the spectrum.. I’m a c.n.a in a facility and I’m also lesbian. In the facilities today it is hard enough to be gay and work there let alone live there as a resident and feel as if you have absolutely no rights! We are told and trained that residents have all these rights but in reality, it’s all smoke.. they tell families and potential residents what they want or need to hear to get the bed filled! I’ve been in this field fo 23 years and my turn will soon be here and let me just say”I WOULD BE VERY FEARFUL OF THE POTENTIAL CARE” ! I am an awesome care giver because I have “passion” for what I do, not many can say the same. We don’t make much money, we are over worked and under appreciated but at the end of “MY” day, I feel good about the care I provided to any and all of my residents! We do need extensive training in the homes, from administration to housekeeping and if you can’t take care of each person like they are your own family then go the hell home!!! You weren’t cut out for it and we don’t need ya!!! These homes talk a good game about culture change and the resident has the right to choose…. the right to “fall”, or the right to refuse…. tell me this though, when are these rights implemented? We aides are sometimes the only family the resident has and we become close and when the turnover in these facilities is so high and one of us is taken away or fired or whatever, don’t ya think that resident will know and feel that we aren’t there? Dimensia, alzheimers and all the other diseases can’t hide how a resident feels when they lose a friend or “family” member!!! Gay or otherwise the ELDERLYare PEOPLE WITH FEELINGS AND THESE FACILITIES NEED TO WAKE THE HELL UP AND TREAT THEM AS SUCH!!!!!! FOLLOW THRUGH WITH TRAINING, IT CAN ONLY IMPROVE YOUR HOME!
I am a transgender woman and a CNA and I love to voluntier some of my time to help all my LGBT comunity
I’m a Director of Social Work in a long-term care facility. As in any institutional setting that provides services to vulnerable populations, those who have strong familial and/or community support are less likely to be subjected to abuse & neglect. In most facilities, there are residents who receive pastoral visits from members of religious organizations. It seems it would be beneficial for LGBT community organizations to provide visits to LGBT seniors who have no other outside advocates. Many changes are taking place in long-term care. Medicaid funding is being drastically cut, and–perhaps due to the dwindling aging population–facilities are closing down. There has been a push toward Nursing Home Diversion programs that seek to provide enough support & supervision necessary to enable the elderly to remain in the community–supposedly at a lower cost to the tax-payer. This will likely be a growing trend for some time–at least until the baby-boomers create another geriatric population swell. However, regardless of how care & services are structured, the LGBT community bears some responsibility/obligation to its own aging members–whether it be in the form of grant-funded programs or volunteer services–to offer support to those in need.
It’s so important for the LGBT community to look into long-term care insurance. It’s the only way to assure that you have choice in the facility or home care.
I knew that i was gay when I was 7 years old. No questions about it,, I wore my brother’s pants.. my brother’s shoes, though my mother would tell me to take them off..but I continued.. my mother kept at it..finally she gave up. I had to wear dresses to school, but under nether my dress I wore shorts and wear my brother’s gym shoes. I knew when I finally gave out what was ahead of my life, aging… coming from a Mexican family we talked a lot of aging relatives,who was to take care of them… I knew the only person I could depend on was ME! No one Else!
I have no children, I do not expect anyone to take care of me , expect ME. bUT FOR SOME REASON, i cannot, I hope that medical providers will have the smarts and passion to to trained their staff that the people you take care of are first HUMAN BEINGS… first and always.. they are LGBT older adults,but HUMAN BEINGS.. respect them/us.