Care Managers Bringing Quality of Life to LGTBQ Elders

It is PRIDE MONTH but Many LGTBQ elders have a miserable Quality of Life

LGTBQ elders have a miserable Quality of Life

.A recent report found that LGBT elders tend to have more medical problems, higher poverty levels social isolation than straight elders. Loneliness and isolation among LGTBQ elders bring” elevated rates of depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol use and abuse, and suicide ideation and attempts, as well as psychiatric co-morbidity.” Same-sex partners are not allowed many of the resources afforded to spouses and biological family members during the aging process.  LGBT elders tend to lack support from many mainstream aging programs, such as senior centers and places of worship, or they are afraid of the stigma and discrimination that could result from joining those programs. Thus, many LGTBQ elders have a miserable Quality of Life.

Many LGTBQ elders have a miserable Quality of Life in Retirement Communities.

Many LGTBQ elders have a miserable Quality of Life because mainstream retirement communities often deny LGBT elder couples the right to live in them so they usually continue to live on their own, even if they need access to the services offered by those communities. These elders may fear discrimination and be ostracized by housing staff and often stay in the closet to obtain housing. Because large numbers of gay elders choose to live alone, they have fewer opportunities for social interaction than their heterosexual peers.

Geriatric Care Managers and Aging Life Professionals can use quality-of-life activities to bring joy to LGTBQ seniors by using reminiscence therapy.

As a result, many LGBT elders living in the community and can benefit from the quality of life activities that geriatric care managers can bring into the home through a personal assistance service and Reminiscence Therapy.

What is Reminiscence Therapy?

It is PRIDE MONTH

Reminiscence therapy is a nonpharmacological intervention that improves self-esteem and gives older patients a sense of fulfillment and comfort as they look back at their lives.² Although reminiscing involves recalling past events, it encourages older patients to communicate and interact with a listener in the present.³ Reminiscence sessions may be formal, informal, one-on-one, or group. They can be done through a Care manager eliciting an older person’s stories during a home visit.

How does Reminicence improve Quality of Life?

It]is PRIDE MONTH but Many LGTBQ elders have a miserable Quality of Life

It gives elders joy in connection and social interaction with – other people, groups, pets, younger people, and family. It allows those who feel the loss of aging joy to engage in activities they love that promote a sense of purpose and physical wellness. It gives older people joy by stimulating the mind through learning, creativity, and idea exchange. Finally, it gives seniors joy in spirituality-Through interaction with what they believe gives life meaning ( whether it be religious belief, nature, or baseball)

Study of LGTBQ Elders  in San Francisco AIDS Epidemic Show How Reminicence Works

An example of how this applies to LGTBQ elders is a study done with aging gay men and women who lived through the AIDs epidemic in San Francisco.LGBTQA older adults who resided in the storied California city by the bay during the 1980s and 1990s were profoundly and uniquely affected by AIDS-related losses and traumas. Many felt isolated from the younger  San Francisco LGBTQA community. They thought the memories of their struggles and were forgotten by young  LGBTQA individuals who lacked the experiences of these elders, creating a divide between the two generations of gay elders. So, their memories were reconstructed in theater and storytelling. Both art forms were a way to bridge the divide, collect the stories of LGBTQA elders, and help educate younger generations about the HIV and AIDS era of the 80’s black death, plus create reminiscence through art forms to engage and educate the younger gay population in San Francisco.

Albert Rubio, MFA, a San Francisco-based actor, playwright, and director, spent a year collecting the stories of one gay man who was a nurse during the AIDS Epidemic in San Francisco and other parts of California. This project gave rise to a solo piece of theater entitled Stories From My Youth.

The study concluded that expressing his stories and then presenting them through theater improved the quality of life of the original gay man plus the life of the LGBTQA elder community by the younger San Francisco LGBTQA community seeing the play. In other words, his storytelling, made into a play, improved his joy and mental health by stimulating his mind through reminiscence in telling his story or idea exchange, then having many people watch it dramatically through the creative act of theater. This then transformed  the original aging LGBTQA man, the aging LGBTQA community, and the younger LGBTA community, bridging the gap between the two groups in San Francisco