Domaine: travail social

Research on service needs among older adults rarely addresses the special circumstances of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, such as their reliance on friend-centered social networks or the experience of discrimination from service providers. Limited data suggests that older LGBT adults underuti- lize health and social services that are important in maintaining independence and quality of life. This study explored the social care networks of this population using a mixed-methods approach. Data were obtained from 210 LGBT older adults. The average age was 60 years, and 71% were men, 24% were women, and 5% were transgender or intersex. One-third was Black, and 62% were Caucasian. Quantitative assessments found high levels of morbidity and friend-centered support networks. Need for and use of services was frequently reported. Content analysis revealed unmet needs for basic supports, including housing, economic supports, and help with entitlements. Limited opportunities for socialization were strongly expressed, particularly among older lesbians. Implications for senior programs and policies are discussed.

This article advocates incorporating biographical narratives into social work practice involving older lesbian, gay and bisexual service users. Offering a critique of {‘}sexuality-blind{’} conditions in current policy and practice, the discussion draws on qualitative data to illustrate the potential benefits of narrative approaches for both practitioners and service users.

Available studies suggest that around 10 per cent of the population might self-identify as a lesbian woman or gay man (Davies and Neal, 1996). It follows that social workers will engage with older people who are homosexual. It does not follow that they will know who they are, as this is a group often characterized by its invisibility. This paper reports the results of a small-scale, exploratory study which examined how older les- bian women and gay men perceived their needs should they become ill or disabled as they age (Langley, 1997). Their concerns were viewed in the context of their past as well as present lives, and oppression was a unifying theme. Some of the findings are examined in order to highlight key challenges for social work practice. These include: (i) working with invisibility and fear of oppression; (ii) developing awareness and recog- nition of lesbian and gay relationships and supportive networks; (iii) the need for anti- oppressive empowering services which match the needs and circumstances of older lesbian women and gay men; (iv) importantly, the need for greater awareness of the heterosexist assumptions which influence institutional responses and individual prac- tice.

This paper centres on a neglected area of social work with older people{—}the social inclusion of older lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults in long-term care environments. The translation of equality law into the delivery of adult care services is a challenging endeavour for organisations, even more so in the morally-contested terrain of sexual wellbeing. In this paper we report findings from a mixed method study into the provision of long-term care for older adults who identify as LGB. Herein we present findings from a survey of care workers and managers (n=121) and from focus groups with equality and LGB stakeholder representatives (n=20) in Wales. Focussing on the current knowledge and understanding of staff, we suggest that affirmative beliefs and practices with sexual minorities are evident amongst care workers and managers, however the inclusion of LGB residents needs to be advanced systemically at structural, cultural and individual levels of provision. There is a need for enhancing awareness of the legacy of enduring discrimination for older LGB people, for cultural acceptance in care environments of older people{’}s sexual desires and relationships, and for a more explicit implementation of equality legislation. Social workers in adult care can advance this agenda.