| Much progress has been made in obtaining equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals in the United States. However, institutionalized discrimination and homophobia in senior services, and specifically health care, remain a problem for LGB elders. Elder LGB people face dual discrimination when they access healthcare, including homophobia and ageism. This study examined needed changes to current professional practice and provides a way to create and implement these changes. LGB elder care needs to be added to health care providers' standard body of knowledge. Due to the lack of research about LGB elders' experiences, they are omitted from health care, which impedes LGB elders' ability to communicate in health care settings honestly for fear of discrimination and denial of treatment. To promote improvement in the situation, change will need to occur in both stakeholder groups: LGB elders need to be able to express their sexual orientation, and health care providers need to create a safe environment for their patients to communicate in. To explore the level of discrimination experienced by LGB elders in a health care facility in Massachusetts, 11 LGB residents were recruited to participate in interviews to discuss their experiences with discrimination. Additionally, 20 staff members completed anonymous surveys that assessed their level of bias and prejudice towards LGB elders. The results showed that this particular facility, which is located in a gay-friendly area, had been able to create a predominantly gay-friendly environment. Even though some staff members did express some personal biases, these biases did not seem to affect the care they provided. The results established a baseline for health care providers on how to provide LGB sensitive services to an aging LGB population. |
