© 2004 The ALSO Foundation, 2004

 

Permission is granted for individuals and organisations to reproduce sections of this document, provided the source is acknowledged. To receive additional copies of this document, please contact The ALSO Foundation:

 

Level 1, 6 Claremont Street

South Yarra

Victoria 3141

Australia

 

Ph: +61 3 9827 4999

Fax: +61 3 9827 1622

Email: also@also.org.au

 

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

 

Birch, Heather.

About Time!: GLBT Seniors ALSO Matter.

 

ISBN 0-9580887-2-1

 

1. Aged gay men ­ Services for ­ Victoria. 2. Aged lesbians ­ Services for ­ Victoria. 3. Bisexuals ­ Services for ­ Victoria. Transsexuals ­ Services for ­ Victoria. I. Higgins, Daryl, 1970- . II. ALSO Foundation. Community Development Committee. III. Title.

 

362.609945

 

 

Acknowledgements:

Special thanks to: Heather Birch ­ preparing this Strategic Plan document, and chairing The ALSO Foundation Community Development Committee (CDC) Older Persons Project subcommittee 2003-4 along with Jaime Peck and Bill Jeffrey; past and current CDC members; Bernadette Browne ­ ALSO Community Development Manager 1999-2001 and Dr John Ward (academic consultation to the development of Stage 1 of the Older Persons Project).

 

Thanks to Associate Professor Chris Chamberlain and Peter Robinson Phd Candidate from RMIT University for their work in the preparation of the Needs of Older Gay, Lesbian and Transgender People report ­ July 2002; based on the interviews conducted by ALSO.

 

We also are grateful for the support of Matrix Guild, Vintage Men, Metropolitan Community Church, City of Port Phillip, and the financial support of the Victorian Department of Human Services.

 

The ALSO Foundation would like to acknowledge the support of United Airlines, who donated a return air ticket to a competition conducted by the Melbourne Midsumma Festival. This ticket assisted Heather Birch to spend a week in November 2003 learning from people involved with the Greater Boston LGBT Aging Project to help inform the development of this Plan.

 

This publication is intended to be a resource; it is not intended to be and is not a complete or definitive statement on the subject matter. It is provided with the understanding that the author, publisher and owner are not engaged in rendering advice. No person should take any action or refrain from taking any action in reliance upon the contents of this publication without first obtaining advice from a competent person. The author, publisher and owner and each of them expressly disclaim liability for any loss or damage suffered by any person arising out of any errors or omissions in this publication or reliance in part or in full upon the contents of this publication.

 

About Time!

GLBT Seniors ALSO Matter

 

 

 

 

Contents

 

 

Editor’s Introduction.......................................................... 4

 

Executive Summary........................................................... 6

 

Action Opportunities Summary.............................................. 7

 

The ALSO Foundation and GLBT Ageing Issues.................... 13

 

Issues Relevant to GLBT Seniors.......................................... 16

 

The ALSO Seniors’ Project................................................. 18

 

Stage 1: Initial Needs Assessment Project............................. 18

 

Stage 2: Community Consultation........................................ 20

 

Stage 3: A Strategic Action Plan for ALSO............................ 22

 

ALSO Action Opportunities................................................ 24

 

1. Facilitation.................................................................. 24

 

2. Advocacy................................................................... 25

 

3. Education & Consultation............................................... 27

 

4. Care & Support............................................................ 31

 

5. Social Support............................................................. 33

 

 

 

About Time!

GLBT Seniors ALSO Matter

 

 

 

One of the most important community development objectives of The ALSO Foundation is to meet the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people as they age.

 

ALSO is in the prime position to facilitate and enable the provision of best-practice services to GLBT people. But how is this best done?

 

The strategic plan outlined in this document fits in with the broader strategies being implemented by State and Federal governments for dealing with the health and housing needs of older people, and with the approaches outlined by organisations such as VicHealth (e.g. their ‘Together We Do Better’ campaign) to address the social needs of people as they age.

 

We can’t do it on our own. This document outlines the particular needs that have been identified in the research and forums that ALSO has conducted ­ and the strategic plan by which we can work progressively towards meeting these needs. Many of the objectives relate to working in collaboration with other organisations, lobbying for government action and policy change, and other strategies to create social changes.

 

In October 2002, a panel of community development experts and community representatives recommended that ALSO move towards being more readily recognised as an umbrella organisation, providing links between GLBT community organisations, as well as linking individuals with GLBT-friendly services or individual service providers. ALSO already has extensive knowledge of the local community and excellent networking skills. The following strategic plan outlines how ALSO can work with other organisations to facilitate change, providing professional development activities and conducting research to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies that can be implemented to meet the needs of ageing and aged GLBT Victorians.

 

A number of exciting opportunities are presented in the report’s 31 recommendations, such as the development of a model of home-based care for older gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people who are living in their own homes, but who need various forms of outreach services to support them. This report also provides

 

opportunities for partnering with existing service providers for older people and to look at the training needs that their staff may have in order to provide sensitive and quality care to GLBT clients.

 

I commend this Strategic Plan to you. It provides a framework within which it is hoped will enable a model of care for GLBT Seniors that is sensitive, respectful and inclusive of the needs of diverse GLBT communities. If you or your organisation are able to assist with meeting the strategic goals outlined within and you wish to discuss the possibilities of working in collaboration, or offering to volunteer your time and expertise on one of our sub-committees or specific projects, please contact our office on (03) 9827 4999 or email: also@also.org.au

 

 

Dr Daryl Higgins

President of The ALSO Foundation; & Chair of the Community Development Committee

and

Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, Deakin University

 

About Time!

GLBT Seniors ALSO Matter

 

 

 

 

The ALSO Foundation’s Older Persons Project has involved three stages to date: an initial needs assessment, feedback from community consultations, and the development of a strategic plan for meeting the needs of GLBT seniors.

 

The implications of a growing population of GLBT seniors and changes in expectations about provision of quality services, both within the community and within aged care facilities are significant for seniors’ services providers.[1]

 

The initial needs assessment showed that there are three key areas of need: provision of home-based community services and residential aged care services that are sensitive to the specific needs of GLBT seniors, and the need for specific action to address an increasing problem of loneliness and social isolation for some GLBT seniors.

 

Participants at the community consultations supported these findings.

 

The research and community consultations also demonstrated that there is considerable potential for The ALSO Foundation (‘ALSO’) to play a strong role as facilitator and advocate in obtaining improved service provision by mainstream service providers as well as further developing its (ALSO’s) own programs in meeting the needs of GLBT seniors.

 

The purpose of this plan is to suggest actions that will not be restrictive, but rather ones that will enable action to occur. A range of factors impact on ALSO’s capacity and ability to implement these actions: this includes the availability of resources and other developments within the community, such as the establishment of the Gay and Lesbian Health Resource Unit by the Victorian Government.

 

 

An implementation plan that provides details about the “who, how and when” action stages will be prepared as a companion document to this strategic plan. Work towards implementing the proposed actions will lead to both short and long-term benefits, which will contribute to meeting the needs of GLBT seniors today and in the future.

 

 

Action Opportunities Summary

 

The action opportunities identified throughout this Strategic Plan are summarised below.

 

1.  Facilitation

 

1.1.    Initiate a Victorian GLBT seniors’ “interest” committee composed of both GLBT and mainstream organisations to strengthen collaboration between agencies and services.

 

1.2.    Encourage and support members of the ALSO-auspiced Victorian GLBTI Rural Network to develop closer liaison with local government and other agencies’ representatives responsible for seniors’ services within their areas of operation.

 

1.3.    Initiate and participate in a working group to develop an occasional information/discussion series of community forums with topics of interest to GLBT seniors.

 

2.  Advocacy

 

2.1.    Advocate for the inclusion of culturally competent care standards and associated staff training relating to GLBT seniors in:

§      Aged Care Accreditation Standards (Standard 3 - Resident lifestyle).

§      Home and Community Care National Standards.

§      Healthcare and other relevant service standards as identified over time.

 

2.2.    Advocate for GLBT seniors to be included as a special needs group in Aged Care Worker Certificate III/IV courses.

 

2.3.    Encourage seniors’ advisory or representative groups associated with local councils and healthcare providers to include an awareness of the specific needs of GLBT seniors in their deliberations.

 

2.4.    Review all ALSO publications to ensure that representation of GLBT senior-affirmative images (including same-sex couples) are included in all general and senior-specific publications, and encompassing all forms of media (e.g., written, radio, electronic and promotional materials).

 

2.5.    Provide GLBT and mainstream media with news articles and human interest stories and information relating to and portraying the lives and experiences of GLBT seniors.

 

2.6.    Work with the Gay and Lesbian Health Resource Unit and Department of Human Services Aged Care Branch to assist local councils in addressing the needs of GLBT seniors in the development and implementation of aged care policy and services.

 

2.7.    Continue to advocate for legislative change to ensure equality under Commonwealth/State & Local Government legislation and policy in relation to same-sex attracted and transgender seniors. Particular examples include ensuring that same-sex partners are entitled to the same survivor benefits as opposite sex partners, full inclusion and protection through anti-discrimination legislation.

 

2.8.    Offer to work with the Gay and Lesbian Health Resource Unit to review and identify best-practice models of GLBT data collection/indicators; and promote the use of these indicators with relevant organisations to ensure sensitive collection of data recording sexuality and gender identity indicators, and those associated with same-sex relationships, as is appropriate to the context.

 

 

 

 

3.  Education and Consultation

 

3.1.    Initiate a pilot project to develop standards for GLBT friendly/responsive seniors’ service provision, including:

§      Development of a service assessment tool for creating and measuring GLBT friendly/responsive seniors’ services.

§      Investigation of options for implementing the service assessment tool.

§      Development of an assessment tool and ‘rainbow’ charter mark/tick of approval for use by seniors’ services assessed as GLBT friendly/responsive.

 

3.2.    Develop, publish and maintain a listing of seniors’ services assessed as GLBT friendly/responsive, utilising the service assessment tool (to be available online and in hard copy as part of the annual ALSO Community Directory and as a separate extract publication).

 

3.3.    Offer to work with the Gay and Lesbian Health Resource Unit to facilitate adaptation and extension of existing health care provider awareness and training to workers within the aged care sector.

 

3.4.    Investigate options to contribute to on-site training initiatives for seniors’ services staff including agency specific training and general cross agency training.

 

3.5.    Investigate opportunities to develop an ALSO Seniors Speakers Bureau for use in community information and staff training sessions.

 

4.  Care and Support

 

4.1.    Investigate options for a range of housing and care models of service provision for GLBT seniors (e.g. cluster housing, co-operative housing, commercial housing developments, and public housing initiatives).

 

4.2.    Investigate options for the development of a ‘demonstration project’ providing GLBT sensitive home care for seniors who wish to remain in their homes.

 

4.3.    Seek funding for market research and a feasibility study to be undertaken regarding housing options for GLBT seniors.

 

4.4.    Investigate the possibility of obtaining Approver Provider status under the Aged Care Act 1997 with a view of providing aged care services to GLBT seniors.

 

4.5.    Host a public information forum/s on housing and care options for GLBT seniors in association with relevant community organisations such as Housing for the Aged Action Group, Matrix Guild (a support group for lesbian seniors), Vintage Men (a support group for gay male seniors), Council on the Ageing (COTA) - Victoria and include government information from the Department of Health and Ageing (Commonwealth), Department of Human Services (State) and the general housing sector.

 

5.  Social Support

 

5.1.    Investigate options to develop a GLBT seniors’ friendly visitor/volunteer program.

 

5.1.1.        Liaise with Vintage Men, Matrix Guild, Victorian AIDS Council, People Living with HIV/AIDS (and associated groups, e.g. Positive Women) and Lesbian Cancer Support Group to discuss current initiatives and opportunities for development of expanded friendly visitor/volunteer programs for GLBT seniors.

 

5.1.2.        Initiate discussions with existing friendly visitor/volunteer programs regarding the possibility of enhancing their existing programs or developing a specific program targeting the GLBT community (e.g. Do-Care and friendly visiting programmes provided by ethno-specific service agencies).

 

5.2.    Investigate options to develop social activities for GLBT seniors.

 

5.2.1.  Encourage gay and lesbian community organisations to organise events for gay and lesbian seniors to be held during the annual Victorian Seniors Festival (e.g. Inaugural ANZ Rainbow Tea Dance held by ALSO in association with Matrix Guild and Vintage Men during the Victorian Seniors Festival 2004).

 

5.2.2.  Contribute to projects that action the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Gay and Lesbian Health recommendation that all local governments be encouraged to run support groups for gay men and lesbians who may feel excluded from mainstream support groups and from GLBT social networks and community groups.

 

5.2.3.  Investigate possibilities for monthly GLBT seniors’ activities at mainstream seniors’ centres in selected local government areas.

 

5.2.4.  Incorporate drop-in and planned programs to improve social connectedness for GLBT seniors in any current or future GLBT Community Centre auspiced by ALSO.

 

 

5.2.5.  Liaise with GLBT community and mainstream (where appropriate) religious and social organisations to encourage a collaborative approach to provision of social activities for GLBT seniors.

 

5.3.        Investigate options to develop intergenerational social and mentoring activities with participation by GLBT seniors.

 

5.3.1.  Seek input from Vintage Men, Matrix Guild, Minus 18 (SSAY group) and local municipality-based same-sex attracted youth groups to the development of intergenerational social and mentoring activities.

 

5.4.    Investigate options to develop GLBT seniors’ caregiver support activities.

 

5.4.1.  Liaise with Vintage Men, Matrix Guild, Victorian AIDS Council, People Living with HIV/AIDS (and associated groups, e.g. Positive Women) and Lesbian Cancer Support Group to discuss current initiatives and opportunities for development of expanded caregiver support programs for those people caring for GLBT seniors.

 

5.4.2.  Initiate discussions with existing caregiver support programs and organisations, (e.g. Carers Victoria, Alzheimer’s Australia Vic) regarding the possibility of enhancing their existing programs or developing specific programs targeting the GLBT community.

 

The 32 recommendations listed above cannot be implemented by ALSO alone, but need to be enacted in partnership with government, community and private organisations. These strategic directions represent a model for best-practice in provision of sensitive and appropriate services to meet the needs of the Victorian GBLT seniors’ community.

 

 

We’re all getting older! And this includes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people!

 

Information about same-sex relationships was collected in the Australian Census in both 1996 and 2001. Almost twice as many people stated they were living in same-sex relationships in 2001 than in 1996 with an increase from 10,214 to 19,596 couples reporting their same-sex domestic partnerships.

 

Unfortunately, Australians were not asked more broadly in the census about their sexual orientation or gender identity. Those people who identify as GLBT but did not have a partner were not identified; neither were those who are in a same-sex relationship but not sharing a residence with their partner. It is also likely that not all people in same-sex partnership households would have declared this relationship on the census form due to concerns about privacy in relation to census data (in fact, sexual behaviour between men was still illegal in Tasmania until 1997). Therefore the actual numbers of GLBT people is likely to be considerably higher than the census data suggest.

 

As with the general ageing of the population, the number of GLBT seniors is also increasing. It is therefore timely that The ALSO Foundation (ALSO) considers its role in meeting the needs of this group.

 

The ALSO Foundation and the ALSO Care & Benevolent Society Inc (‘ALSO’) assists in the provision of a broad range of supportive, benevolent and charitable services for the purpose of developing, fostering and maintaining an articulate and effective community of GLBT people in Victoria. The ALSO Foundation (ALSO) has undertaken its mission in Melbourne since 1981.

 

The ALSO mission and vision are:

 

 

ALSO has already demonstrated its commitment to advancing the interests of GLBT seniors in Victoria through a number of recent

initiatives, one of which is the research project undertaken from 2000-2001 investigating the needs of GLBT seniors in Victoria, which subsequently led to the publication of the GLBT Older Persons’ Poster in 2001 and The Needs of Older Gay, Lesbian and Transgender People report - 2002 (Chamberlain C & Robinson P, RMIT University).

 

This report was followed up with three community consultations targeting Victorian GLBT seniors held during early and mid 2003. This Strategic Plan has been developed using feedback from these forums as well as consideration of a number of overseas GLBT seniors-focused reports and information available from various services, including:

§      Public policy analysis and development by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation (USA)

§      Policy and research/curriculum development by the McGill School of Social Work (McGill University, Ottawa, Canada)

§      The Greater Boston LGBT Aging Project (USA)

§      Seniors Action in a Gay Environment (New York, USA)

§      Lavender Seniors of the East Bay (San Leandro, USA)

§      New Leaf Outreach to Seniors (San Francisco, USA)

§      Spectrum Centre (San Anselmo, USA)

§      GLBT Seniors Resource Centre (Toronto, Canada)

§      LGBT Generations Project (Vancouver, Canada)

§      Sensitivity awareness programs such as Rainbow Train (Seattle, USA)

§      The Age Concern, Opening Doors initiative (United Kingdon).

 

ALSO has undertaken other activities that have advanced the concerns of GLBT seniors such as being a key player in advocating for recent changes in State Government legislation. The Victorian Statute Law Amendment (Relationships) Act 2001 has replaced the term ‘de facto spouse’ with the broader defined term of ‘domestic partner’ which now includes both same-sex and heterosexual couples. This has major implications for GLBT seniors in formally recognising both rights and responsibilities of partners in domestic relationships.

 

In addition to advocating for the rights of GLBT seniors, ALSO provided a representative to the Victorian State Government Ministerial Advisory Committee on Gay and Lesbian Health (MACGLH) during 2000-2003. The MACGLH advises the State Government on health and wellbeing related issues affecting the Victorian GLBTI communities. In July 2003, the MACGLH released an Action Plan for GLBTI health in Victoria titled Health and sexual diversity: A health and wellbeing action plan for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) Victorians.

 

The MACGLH Action Plan notes the following issues of specific interest and concern for seniors:

§      obstacles to maintaining friendship, family and social networks for older GLBTI people who come out later in life and those GLBTI people living in rural communities;

§      ageism within GLBTI and mainstream communities, including exclusion from GLBTI social networks and invisibility within mainstream social networks;

§      issues associated with caring for older partners, relatives and friends;

§      invisibility within the (community and residential) aged care sector in relation to service provision and general acknowledgement and positive representation of the needs of older GLBTI people; and

§      discrimination in institutionalised aged care and other forms of service provision that older GLBTI people access.

 

Resulting from the recommendations in the State Government’s MACGLH Action Plan, a Gay and Lesbian Health Resource Unit has been established in 2004. This Unit will act as a clearinghouse for gay and lesbian health research and resources and provide information and training in GLBTI health and wellbeing issues for health care providers (including aged care services) in Victoria. The Unit is contained within the La Trobe University, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (Melbourne, Australia).

 

ALSO’s Strategic Plan provides background information about issues of interest to seniors together with a summary of ALSO’s work to date as part of its Older Persons Project. ALSO’s Strategic Plan for meeting the needs of GLBT seniors takes into consideration the expected outcomes of the Resource Unit and aims to work with and compliment their anticipated activities.

 

 

Issues Relevant to GLBT Seniors

 

Issues in common with all seniors

 

Older people in our society face a number of challenges associated with ageing: the need to manage increased health care needs, in-home care challenges and increases in the cost of living; for example housing costs, utilities, transport and food. All of these issues can be greatly exacerbated by the difficulties of living on limited and fixed incomes and for some, this is made worse by factors such mobility impairments, social isolation and additional contributing issues such as racism or sexism.

 

Issues specific to GLBT seniors

 

As well as the above challenges, there are specific issues that GLBT seniors face daily, particularly in relation to accessing health, housing, community, and aged care services. In the case of transgender people, there are specific issues not only in relation to accessing services, but also the impact of medical interventions and a lack of control in how they are involved with health services historically, which greatly impacts upon their trust of these services.

 

Many GLBT seniors are reluctant to access seniors’ services because of their previous and sometimes current, experiences of homophobia and fear of negative attitudes to transgender people by service providers. In response to their experiences of homophobia and transphobia, many GLBT seniors have needed to maintain strict privacy around the expression of their sexuality and gender identity during their lives, and therefore some GLBT seniors may maintain a sense of extreme caution about whether attitudes have really changed and to whom they can safely disclose information. Being a GLBT senior may involve evaluating of the attitudes of each new service provider and worker to assess whether to be ‘out’ or not in each situation. Some may be concerned that, if they scratch the surface of the new tolerance, things may not have really changed at all. This concern is likely to lessen over time for some younger GLBT people who have matured in a more liberal society begin to age.

 

Assumption of heterosexuality and gender identity

 

One of the current dilemmas for service providers is identification of GLBT clients. In most cases, the health care, housing and aged care service systems assume their clients are heterosexual and make assumptions about clients’ gender identities. Some are uncomfortable asking about sexual orientation and gender identity.

 

Yet the provision of quality health care and quality service provision requires a complete picture of clients’ lifestyle and support systems, as well as barriers to accessing services and support. For GLBT seniors, this means giving us an opportunity to ‘come out’ by affirming their sexual orientation and gender identity to health or home care providers. GLBT people commonly have to make decisions about whether to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity ­ whether to be ‘in’ or ‘out’. An atmosphere of silence contributes to and maintains discrimination.

 

Trust may be a challenge, and sharing the truth about one’s sexual orientation or gender identity is difficult. As a result, service providers may be unaware that they have clients and consumers who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

 

But there is no reason to ask anyone if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender if there is no acknowledgement of this status, or if there is no relevant or inclusive service or program to benefit that person. If there is no gay-friendly symbol on the door, no staff trained in sensitivity to GLBT needs, nor even a basic program in place ­ why would GLBT seniors make use of your service or declare themselves to be GLBT if they do choose to use the service?

 

 

 

Stage 1: Initial Needs Assessment Project

 

Through consultations and workshops conducted in 1998, ALSO identified the care of older GLBT people as a crucial concern and expressed the need for a feasibility study to accurately determine the needs of GLBT seniors. In 2000, ALSO conducted a pilot Older Persons Needs Assessment Project. One-hour recorded interviews were held with individuals who, to the best of current understanding of the GLBT community, reflected the profile of older people within this community. Participants were involved from metropolitan and rural areas.

 

The interview covered questions such as:

§   How do you identify sexually?

§   What do you see as your needs now?

§   What do you see as your needs in the future?

An advisory group composed of representatives from Matrix Guild (a support group for lesbian seniors), Vintage Men (a support group for gay male seniors), Metropolitan Community Church (a denomination for GLBT people, which has a number of seniors), City of Port Philip Older Persons’ Reference Group and interested individuals initially supported the research project.

 

In 2000, a successful application for funding was made to the Positive Ageing Unit of the Victorian Department of Human Services. Funding was approved for Stage 1 of the Project to analyse the baseline needs assessment research and to develop strategies to respond to expressed needs. In addition to this funding the ALSO Care & Benevolent Society Inc contributed significant funds and resources in support of this research.

 

Researchers from RMIT University were contracted to analyse the interview data collected by ALSO.[2] This analysis has revealed that many older GLBT people experience loneliness, isolation and considerable difficulties in accessing appropriate health care services. Based on the information provided by participants, these social difficulties were particularly evident for gay men.

 

Outcomes from Stage 1

 

 

Based on the analysis, three main needs were identified:

a)  outreach services for older GLBT people who currently live in and wish to remain in their own homes;

b)  residential care options for older GLBT people, with nursing homes and retirement villages being identified examples; and

c)  community opportunities to be involved in activities and groups to overcome the social isolation that arose from the perceived ageism in the commercial gay scene.

A report of the findings from Stage 1 of ALSO’s Older Persons Needs Assessment Project was published for community comment[3], and provided the basis for Stage 2 of the Project: the GLBT community consultations that ALSO undertook from April to July 2003, targeting GLBT seniors across Victoria.

 

Stage 2: Community Consultation

 

Members from ALSO’s Community Development Committee and the Older Persons Project Sub-Committee conducted three community consultations targeting GLBT seniors aged 50 years and over, to discuss the findings contained in the Stage 1 Report. Participants were asked to contribute to the strategic directions that ALSO may take in the coming years to respond to the needs of GLBT seniors in Victoria. Forums were conducted in St Kilda on 29 April 2003 (in conjunction with Vintage Men), Footscray on 24 May 2003, and Ivanhoe on 28 June 2003. In all, 40 people participated across the three forums (including two written responses from people who were unable to attend).

 

All forums produced a broad range of comments, ideas and suggestions that centred upon eight topic areas that people participating in the forums were asked to consider in small groups facilitated by ALSO volunteers. Discussions focused on:

§      current and future needs of GLBT people as they age;

§      types of services/programs/activities that could meet these current and future needs;

§      examples of good services/programs/activities;

§      examples of not-so-good services/programs/activities;

§      ways to improve services/programs/activities for GLBT seniors;

§      possible roles for ALSO to undertake in responding to the needs of GLBT seniors;

§      possible roles that GLBT seniors could undertake themselves; and

§      identifying other organisations that could play a part in responding to the identified needs.

 

Participants confirmed the key areas of need identified in Stage 1 of the project. Services sensitive to the needs of older GLBT people who wish to remain in their own homes and appropriate residential care options for GLBT seniors were considered essential to maintain an individual’s self identity and wellbeing.

 

Participants also agreed with the finding that some GLBT seniors are socially isolated. They suggested that this might be for a range of reasons, including:

§      lack of appropriate social activities;

§      lack of acceptance of GLBT seniors in existing seniors organisations;

§      rejection by family members;