For LGBT Seniors, Inclusive Housing and Long-Term Care Can Be Hard to Find

SAGE's Kathleen LaTosch says LGBT seniors face challenges when entering a long-term care community — challenges that caregivers sometimes overlook, reports Michigan Radio . "They're not thinking about the fact that LGBT seniors are three times more likely to be living in poverty because of a lifetime of employment discriminations," she points out. "They're not thinking about the fact that they might not be legally married and are less likely to have a partner to help care for them." LGBT seniors also are worried about the possibility of discrimination from staff or fellow residents. A SAGE fact sheet found 48 percent of lesbian, gay, or bisexual couples experience "adverse treatment when seeking senior housing," with transgender seniors encountering such treatment more often. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation will this year work with SAGE on the Long-Term Care Equality Index, a national survey for gauging LGBT inclusiveness of long-term senior living communities. According to LaTosch, these communities will then receive training to help them improve inclusivity.