According to research from the National Resource Center on LGBTQ Aging, LGBTQ+ older adults are twice as likely to age as a single person, when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. When it comes to aging and caregiving, there are special factors to consider for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Increased discrimination in care settings and in the community: Discrimination remains one of the biggest challenges for the LGBTQ+ community at large. Older adults may face discrimination from peers, caregivers, physicians, service providers and other people involved in their care, in ways including, but not limited to:
- Denial of service or treatment
- Use of slurs or harmful language
- Avoidance of physical contact
- Intentional misgendering
- Hostility
Discrimination can increase the stress, anxiety, isolation and loneliness of LGBTQ+ older adults, and also negatively impact their health, especially if discrimination is a barrier to receiving the care they need.
Unmet specialized needs: Health care practitioners are often challenged to respond to the specialized needs and services for the LGBTQ+ community.
Smaller support networks: Many LGBTQ+ older adults were cut off from their biological families, or otherwise don’t feel comfortable turning to them for support. Additionally, members of the LGBTQ+ community are four times less likely to have children than their heterosexual peers. Lastly, many LGBTQ+ older adults lost friends and loved ones to the AIDS crisis, and continue to feel the impact of those losses.
Increased mental health issues: Many LGBTQ+ older adults grew up when homosexuality was considered a mental illness, often making the relationship between them and a mental health practitioner uneasy, distrustful, fearful of “discrimination and bias.” According to a National LGBT Health Education Center report, rates of depression are more than twice as high among LGBTQ+ older adults compared to older adults in general, and many suffer effects of past traumas related to harassment and rejection by family and friends, leading to higher rates of substance abuse as a coping method.
Uncertain nature of rights, protections and supports: Legislation on LGBTQ+ issues can change unexpectedly depending on the actions of local and national politicians and court rulings. Certain protections that are in place for the LGBTQ+ community may be removed or changed with little notice.
What resources exist for LGBT+ older adults?
If you are an older adult in the LGBTQ+ community, or provide assistance to one as a caregiver, it is important not to be stopped by these obstacles. All people are of deserving of quality, unprejudiced care as they age, which respects their identity and dignity. For support, consider reaching out to:
- Community agencies that provide AIDS support and services
- Local and national LGBTQ+ organizations. These can help in locating community agencies that are sensitive and supportive. Many provide information anonymously over the phone.
- LGBTQ+-sensitive home care providers or social work/mental health services, such as those provided by Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging in the Cleveland area.
- Your local Area Agency on Aging
- SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline
LGBTQ+ older adults and their caregivers may also encounter legal issues, such as undergoing discrimination-based mistreat, or not having civil unions, partnerships or even marriages acknowledged or respected. In these situations, consider reaching out to:
- Lambda Legal, a national organization committed to LGBTQ+ civil rights issues
- The National Center for Lesbian Rights
- Transgender Law Center
Written by Tam Cooper, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging.