10.09.07
LGBT seniors face hardships, discrimination
Gay and lesbian seniors living in retirement communities and nursing homes often feel compelled to retreat back into the closet to avoid being discriminated against by staff or shunned by other residents, according to this article. To address the problem, L.G.B.T. Aging Projects in New York, Chicago and other major cities are beginning to conduct sensitivity training for long-term care providers, and some facilities geared toward LGBT seniors are opening their doors.
Elderly gay people living in nursing homes or assisted-living centers or receiving home care, increasingly report that they have been disrespected, shunned or mistreated in ways that range from hurtful to deadly, even leading some to commit suicide.
Some have seen their partners and friends insulted or isolated. Others live in fear of the day when they are dependent on strangers for the most personal care. That dread alone can be damaging, physically and emotionally, say geriatric doctors, psychiatrists and social workers.
The plight of the gay elderly has been taken up by a generation of gay men and lesbians, concerned about their own futures, who have begun a national drive to educate care providers about the social isolation, even outright discrimination, that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender clients face.
Federal law provides no antidiscrimination protections to gay people. Twenty states explicitly outlaw such discrimination in housing and public accommodations. But no civil rights claims have been made by gay residents of nursing homes, according to the Lambda Legal Defense Fund, which litigates and monitors such cases. Potential plaintiffs, the organization says, are too frail or frightened to bring action.
Admissions forms for long-term care have boxes to check for marital status and next of kin. But none of the boxes match the circumstances of gay men or lesbians. Suggested follow-up questions like “Who is important in your life?