SAGE is the leading organization in the United States devoted to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older people. Through research, programs, and collaboration with other divisions of the American Psychological Association (APA), SAGE works to fulfill its mission. Iona is actively involved with the LGBTQ community and, in partnership with Whitman-Walker Health, provides free peer-led support groups for LGBTQ seniors. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with caregivers of LGBT elderly from multiple cities in the United States.
WestMass ElderCare, in collaboration with the Holyoke Council on Aging, organizes a monthly food club for people over 60 years old and older, young couples, friends, and LGBT allies. It is estimated that 2.4 million LGBT seniors over 50 live in the United States, and this number is expected to double by 2030. The Department of Aging of the City of Los Angeles offers an LGBT needs assessment survey as a model for evaluating the LGBT community as part of the preparation of area plans. To ensure that LGBT seniors in the San Francisco area remain independent and don't retreat into the closet, it is essential to create housing options for them. Gen Silent is an award-winning documentary that asks six older LGBT people if they will conceal their friends, spouses, and entire lives to survive in the care system.
The LGBT Older Adults Coalition is a collaboration of individuals and organizations from Southeastern Michigan working to establish effective programs and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender elderly. NRC certified trainer Doreen Bermudez explains why an LGBT organization should receive cultural competency training provided by the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging. The Western Montana Community Center is an LGBT center located in Missoula, Montana that offers a monthly calendar of events, annual fundraising events, and social groups for gay men, lesbians, and trans people. Some LGBT residents from smaller New England cities group together regularly and travel by road to Boston to see a doctor. Gerontologists who work in long-term care facilities and those who work in social and home care services may be particularly interested in the special concerns of transgender elderly people and recent changes in public policy regarding all LGBT seniors. In commemoration of Residents' Rights Month and National Outreach Day, the Ombudsman's National Resource Center for Long-Term Care released a new consumer fact sheet titled NORC in collaboration with the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging and Lambda Legal on the rights of LGBT residents in nursing homes. Central Missouri is home to many LGBT seniors, who face unique challenges due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
To ensure that these individuals are able to live full lives with dignity and respect, it is important to understand their needs and provide appropriate resources. This includes creating housing options for them, offering support groups for LGBTQ older adults, providing cultural competency training for organizations that serve them, organizing events specifically for them, and ensuring that their rights are respected in long-term care facilities.
