LGBTQ+ elders fear being forced back into the closet, new study suggests
According to a national survey, over 70% of LGBTQ+ elders said they would rather stay at home alone than move into a mainstream care home
By Aaron Sugg
A new national survey by Eva Group has revealed that most LGBTQ+ elders fear being forced back into the closet and would rather age alone than risk discrimination in care homes.
Despite decades of progress in LGBTQ+ rights, the new report, entitled Still Here, Still Proud: The LGBTQ+ Eldercare Crisis, shows that many respondents reported past experiences of being forced back into the closet when seeking care.
A gay man in his 60s said in a statement: “I fear being made fun of, male carers refusing to touch me, having to hide again.”
“We fought to be visible”
Another participant said in a statement: “We fought to be visible. We shouldn’t have to retreat into the closet in our final years.”
67% said they have hidden their identity in a healthcare or housing setting, while 85% said they would not feel safe being open about being LGBTQ+ in a typical UK care home.
When asked if participants would consider an LGBTQ+-specific care home, 97% of participants said yes.
Although, currently across the UK, there are no dedicated residential care homes specifically for LGBTQ+ people.
Eva Group, which describes itself as ‘the UK’s first luxury LGBTQ+ care home brand’, hopes to open the country’s first dedicated homes for the community.
“In the UK, LGBTQ+ eldercare is still invisible”
Elizabeth Lichten, Eva Group founder said in a statement: “We’ve built Soho Houses, luxury hotels, even LGBTQ+ retirement villages in the US.
“But in the UK, LGBTQ+ eldercare is still invisible. Eva Group was born to change that.”
The company hopes that by opening a network of high-quality, culturally inclusive care homes designed to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ plus elders they will be able to offer identity-affirming support.
Among those supporting the initiative is Lord Michael Cashman, actor, author and co-founder of Stonewall.
Lord Cashman told Attitude: “What is crucial is that at whatever level people need social care, and from whatever part of the community they come from, they must feel safe, they must feel they belong and they must not have to compromise their identity or who they are.”
The company is currently raising seed funding and inviting early supporters to join its £10,000 Founder Deposit Club, securing priority access and helping demonstrate demand to local authorities and partners.