Gay people ‘fear aged-care closet’, says Southern Cross University study

AGEING gay, lesbian and queer people fear discrimination and are lonelier, according to a new study.

AGEING gay, lesbian and queer people fear discrimination, are lonelier and experience higher levels of psychological distress, according to a new study from Southern Cross University.

The survey of 312 people aged 50 to 84 in NSW found almost 60 per cent had a good relationship with their biological family while 12 per cent reported being estranged.

Lead author Mark Hughes said early experiences of discrimination, in some cases ongoing, were hard to shake.

“Older LGBTI people thinking of accessing aged-care services have often had many experiences of discrimination when they were younger and they carry that with them through their lives and so … that influences how they engage with service providers. The key concern is that people won’t seek support or assistance when they need it because of fears of discrimination … that they’ll have to go back into the closet when they’re accessing services later in life .

“A lot of aged-care providers are becoming a lot more LGBTI sensitive, but that fear of discrimination might impact on their willingness to access services when they need it.

“That has all sorts of implications for healthy ageing, premature hospitalisation and people having health conditions that get to a crisis point.”

The group reported higher levels of distress and mental illness than the general population — despite 60 per cent experiencing low or no levels — and this was higher among those living alone or not in a relationship.

“There are some important groups within this study that require particular attention,” the report says.