Britta Larson, SAGECare Trainer:
Sadly, approximately 70 percent of LGBTQ older adults go back in the closet when they enter a skilled nursing facility. And that statistic makes me so sad, because it’s no quality of life to be hiding who you are, to not be your authentic self, to basically be forced to live a lie.
I have worked in the field of aging for 20 years. I originally worked at a long-term care community in the Chicagoland area. However, they were faith-based and, I would say, homophobic. And so I identify as part of the LGBTQ community, and I didn’t feel safe or comfortable identifying as part of the community while I was working there.
And so I left. LGBTQ older adults are very marginalized and vulnerable in many different ways. They are much less likely to be aging with family support. And they’re twice as likely to be living alone compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers.
