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Older lesbians' experiences with home care: varying levels of disclosure and discrimination
- Author:
- BUTLER Sandra S.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 29(4), 2017, pp.378-398.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
There is considerable evidence that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults have experienced barriers to health care access and have profound fears about how they will be treated in the long-term care system, but the specific experiences of older lesbians have received less attention. Most older adults needing long-term services and supports (LTSS) prefer to remain at home, and this is true for lesbians as well. This article reports on a national, qualitative study of the experiences of 20 older lesbians (age 65 and older) with home care workers. The experiences of six informal partner caregivers with home care services are also included. Emergent themes regarding level of disclosure, experiences with homophobia, evaluation of care received, and thoughts about ideal LTSS are described. Most study participants did not disclose their sexual orientation to their home care workers. A significant minority experienced homophobia, but nearly all ultimately found workers who provided good care with which they were comfortable. Their visions of ideal LTSS included greater affordability and particular qualities that were important for home care workers to possess, such as competence, caring and acceptance. Practice and policy implications are outlined including careful recruitment, training and supervision of home care workers to foster lesbian-sensitive care, but also improved wages and work conditions in order to maintain a quality home care workforce. (Publisher abstract)
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) elders: the challenges and resilience of this marginalized group
- Author:
- BUTLER Sandra S.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 9(3), 2004, pp.25-43.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Current gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) individuals age 65 years and older grew up before the Gay Rights movement. They have learned over many years to hide their identities in order to avoid discrimination and ridicule. Unfortunately, this secrecy has led to the near invisibility of the elder GLBT population and to poor health and service access. This paper reviews what we know about GLBT elders, describes some of the unique strengths they bring to the aging process, and outlines some of the challenges they face. Micro, mezzo, and macro practice implications are suggested. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)