NY confab to confront gay elder issues
by Amy Wooten
Windy City Times
Thursday Oct 9, 2008
In the next 20 or so years, the nation’s senior population is expected to grow substantially. By 2030, elder advocates anticipate that the number of LGBT seniors will jump from 2.5 million to roughly 4.7 million.
While the mainstream aging community has overlooked this special segment of the senior population for decades, the times are changing. In less than a week, the national organization Services & Advocacy for GLBT Seniors ( SAGE ) will hold its 4th National Conference on LGBT Aging in New York. This year is special for two reasons. First, it will help mark SAGE’s 30th anniversary. But more importantly, it is also the first time a mainstream aging organization is sponsoring the event. AARP is sponsoring the conference, titled "It’s About Time: LGBT Aging in a Changing World," which will take place Oct. 12-14.
Although seniors, both straight and LGBT, deal with many similar issues, there are several unique issues that LGBT elders face. According to SAGE, LGBT seniors are twice as likely to live alone; half as likely to have life partners or significant others; half as likely to not have close relatives to call for help; and four times less likely to have children to help them than their heterosexual counterparts.
Many senior services assume that elders have ongoing caregivers and family members on hand to help, which impacts both LGBT and heterosexual seniors who don’t have such a support system. Additionally, because a large number of LGBT seniors might not have anybody to help care for them, they are less likely to go to the doctor or seek medical attention. They are also more likely to be unnecessarily institutionalized.
Abridged
SOURCE: Windy City Times
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