Assessing the cultural needs of older lesbians and gay men: Implications for practice

Abstract

This article maintains that older lesbians and gay men do have cultural differences from other older people and that these differences should be taken into account in the assessment process and in turn should influence service provision. The article will explore our current understanding of older lesbians and gay men by presenting the conflicting images and stereotypes that exist within the literature. The objective is to begin to identify the expressions of lesbian and gay culture and how this is influenced by both history and ageing as expressed by the lives of older lesbians and gay men. From this position, the paper will then explore the practice implications of recognising cultural differences in responding to the needs of older lesbians and gay men and providing services that truly reflect their individual circumstances.

Older Lesbians and Gays Accessing Health and Aged-Care Services

“…In Australia, as in the UK (Pugh 2005), the major obstacle service providers and researchers face in identifying the needs of the older lesbian and gay population is the invisibility of this population in health and aged care settings. As participants in this project identified, it is critical for these provider and research organisations to develop lesbian-and gay-friendly environments and projects so that older lesbian and gay people are able to disclose and express their identities -and thus become visible -where they feel it is appropriate.…”

Gerontologia LGBT: velhice, gênero, sexualidade e a constituição dos “idosos LGBT”

“…LGBT Reino Unido (Clover, 2006;Pugh, 2005) 29 e mais recentemente Nova Zelândia e Austrália (Harrison, 2002(Harrison, , 2005Hughes, 2006).…”

Categories and their consequences: Understanding and supporting the caring relationships of older lesbian, gay and bisexual people

“…Nonetheless, the benefits of taking into account a biographical context when working with older LGB individuals are well supported in the existing literature in health and social care. Pugh (2005) highlights the importance of past experiences to the way older LGB individuals negotiate access to care services, given the key role played by the State in policing homosexuality throughout much of the last century. Similarly, Bayliss (2000) has argued that life story work with older lesbians supports an understanding of a life history of oppression.…”