LGBT Issues for Seniors

Categories: Active Senior Living, Aging Advocacy, GLBT, Helping Seniors, Resources, Uncategorized

Philly.com recently released an article that discussed an equality forum that was held to address problems of lesbian/gay/bisexual/trans-gender (LGBT) seniors. Advocate on Aging Deborah Dolan weighs in on the issues:

“On November 16, 2010,  Advocate On Aging posted a podcast about aging issues of LGBT seniors.  The issues are enormous as noted in this article and often create fear and uncertainty at a time we are losing much of ourselves anyway – our jobs, our friends, our way of life.  For LGBT seniors, they must face the added uncertainty of “coming out” again if they are forced to move into a retirement or continuum of care community.  For transgendered seniors, health issues may require they see doctors other than their primary care providers.  They will be required again to explain their outward presentation of one gender while coping with the illnesses associated with the other gender.  Few people – heterosexual or LGBT — have the long-term, supportive relationship that Joel and Bob (the subjects of this article) have created.  Given time I believe acceptance will occur.  Until then, may we work harder to open our minds, talk, teach and provide non-judgmental support to all who do not fit into some predetermined set of ‘normal’ lifestyle choices.”

Podcast: Aging in the GLBT Community

Categories: Active Senior Living, Aging Advocacy, Caring For Elderly, GLBT, Podcasts, Resources

 Standard Podcast [7:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (19)

Aging Advocate Deborah Dolan & host Kevyn Burger discuss aging for members of the GLBT community and how they are effected. Deborah has moderated panels for the GLBT community to discuss aging issues, housing, caregiving resources, etc. The biggest fear Deborah hears for GLBT community members is the fear of not receiving adequate care in living facilities as they age.  Training To Serve is working to take care of that issue by providing training to help service providers meet the needs of the GLBT comunity and it’s members.

Are You Training to Meet the Needs of All Seniors?

Categories: Aging Advocacy, Caring For Elderly, GLBT, In-Home Care, Resources

In working with seniors, one size definitely does not fit all; applying simplified, generalized practices to all seniors is ineffective.  It is necessary to provide specialized training to caretakers so they are prepared to fully serve the needs of all elderly individuals. One organization found this to be especially true when serving senior members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) community.

In 2007 a collaboration among the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging, GLBT Generations, University of Minnesota researchers, and other community supporters conducted a survey to assess how prepared service providers are to work with this community.  It was concluded that agencies are not adequately prepared to serve older GLBT individuals, but that the agencies have a great interest in learning new skills to be able to do so. Thus Training to Serve was founded. TTS is an organization designed to assist local providers of aging services with the education and tools to help them meet the needs of GLBT persons as they age and begin to seek services,.

Their mission is simple: “assisting senior service providers with training and resources to ensure Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) persons are able to achieve a satisfying quality of life in later years.” Their mission doesn’t sound too difficult or too much to expect, but many GLBT seniors fear it won’t be their aging experience.

TTS is located in St. Paul, MN. To learn more about TTS, click here to visit the organization’s website.

Insight into the Aging GLBT Community.

Categories: Caring For Elderly, GLBT

The U.S. Census Bureau and the Urban Institute found that at least two million Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Americans are approaching or have reached retirement age!

GLBT Baby Boomers will process and perceive retirement differently than the general population. Most will delay retirement. Largely single and living alone, they will rely more on close friends than family for support as they age.

This according to a survey for MetLife, conducted by the American Society on Aging in connection with the GLBT Aging Issues Network.

The MetLife study polled 1,200 GLBT individuals and 1,200 people from the general population. It shows both differences and similarities between the two groups with regard to attitudes, demographics and aging.

Members of the GLBT group are more likely to say they will be at least 70 before they can retire, 48% compared with 40% in the general population. Economics is cited as the number one reason for the delayed retirement. Only a quarter or fewer in the GLBT group say they have saved what they need to live in retirement.

A higher percentage of GLBT Boomers have completed living wills, health care proxies, rights of visitation and partnership agreements, in comparison to the general population.

The study found that 77 per cent of the general population are in a relationship, compared to 61 per cent in the GLBT sample. However, nearly two-thirds of GLBT Boomers say they have a “chosen family,” a group of people they consider family, even though they are not legally or biologically related.