What Do We Do When We Get Old

I am well on my way of getting old (it sure beats the alternative of pushing up flowers) and I am starting to think what will happen if I had to go into a Long Term Care facility.

Retirement communities turn their sights on a once-invisible group: LGBT seniors
Chicago Tribune
By Tara Bahrampour The Washington Post
July 11, 2018

In 2016, as Kenneth MacLean was about to turn 90 and was looking to move to a retirement community, he had a question for Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

"I asked, 'Would there be many gays here? Would gays be welcomed?' " MacLean, a retired Unitarian minister, wanted to be sure his partner of 22 years, a man who lives in England and spends several months a year visiting him, would be welcomed by staff and other residents.

The staff member he talked to was generally positive about the community being welcoming, MacLean said, but "not quite ready" to answer his questions about gay residents. MacLean subsequently moved in and felt comfortable introducing his partner. But even after almost two years there, he has little sense of how many of his 1,400 fellow residents on the sprawling, leafy campus are also lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

That could soon change. Last month, Asbury became the first facility in the Washington, D.C., region to receive LGBT-friendly certification from SAGECare, a program run by SAGE, a national advocacy organization for older LGBT people.

The certification program began two years ago to address the needs of the aging Stonewall generation - LGBT people who were at the forefront of the national battles for equality and acceptance in the 20th century. An estimated 2.7 million Americans 50 or older identify as LGBT, and that number is projected to exceed 5 million by 2060, according to a study by the University of Washington.

Back in 2015 I began working on a project with the LGBT Aging Advocacy which included a visit to SAGE in New York City and through that effort the Jewish Family Services became the first agency to be certified as being LGBT friendly.

From the community Jewish Family Services, JFS Care at Home Obtain LGBT Certification
Hartford Courant
By Community Contributor ssebag
April 20, 2018

Jewish Family Services (JFS) and JFS Care at Home today announced that they have become the state's first organizations to earn the Getting it Right LGBT Inclusivity-Advanced level certification. This integrated program includes actions and resources to help organizations adopt practices of intentional inclusion for LGBT elders. The event was attended by State Senator Beth Bye and State Representative Andrew Fleischmann.
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State Representative Andrew Fleischmann added, "Connecticut Community Care's recognition of Jewish Family Services for its inclusivity is terrific and well deserved. Jewish Family Services and JFS Care At Home (JFS) train all their staff to understand the importance of being open and inclusive to the LGBT community and all people. JFS ensures that every person in their world - employees, clients, partner organizations, community members - understands the importance of inclusivity. And they work to make sure that this open, welcoming culture is sustained day-in and day-out, for every person whom they touch. JFS provides a great model of caring and inclusivity for all of our homes and workplaces - congratulations!"

Senator Beth Bye has been following our work and giving us encouragement but Representative Andrew Fleischmann I never heard from and I have been on the committee working for the training since it was formed.

I did a presentation at “Creating LGBT Inclusive Environments in Connecticut Long Term Care Communities” sponsored by Connecticut Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program which is a state agency. And from that presentation came a visit to a LTC facility to help them with a trans resident.

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A couple of weeks ago I did an interview for Comcast Newsmakers with Eric Clemons …