Some seniors that are part of the lesbian, gay, and queer community are afraid that the prejudices and viewpoints of caregivers will lead to a negative senior care experience. Although a lot of seniors have had the opportunity to openly live their lives the way that they want to, as their need for senior care grows, some seniors are finding that they now are entering a “second closet,” so to speak. While they may have been able to openly express themselves in the past, this is no longer the case.
The fear of being mistreated is very real for a lot. And although our culture is far more accepting of those in the LGBTQ community than ever before, it’s not a universally accepted thing, especially in some parts of the country. This generation knows that. They lived through more discrimination than we can imagine, and the fear of being hurt when they are at their most vulnerable is very real.
We owe it to the elderly folks that we love to create safe places for them to receive senior care.
A lot of nursing homes and assisted living facilities do not have the trainings in place to really help staff and volunteers that aren’t familiar with the LGBTQ community become more sensitive to the unique challenges that these individuals face when it comes to care and discrimination. Implementing trainings is really only part of it, though. Finding staff that love the people that they work with unconditionally can be difficult–especially when we are in a global situation where finding any qualified caregivers is tough.
Additionally, a lot of nursing home staff are unfamiliar with how to appropriately address the stigma that a lot of the LGBTQ community faces. Unfortunately, this is true well beyond the senior care industry. However, it bleeds over into this area as a result of the general unawareness. This information was discovered as a result of about 20 different studies that were conducted over the last two decades.
Here at Paradise In-Home Care, we do our best to make sure that only the best caregivers find their way to working with clients. This means being aware of different lifestyles, sexual orientations, cultural differences, and more. This is one of the biggest advantages of in-home care. It allows the person receiving assistance to continue to live their life the way that they want, in the place that they want, but still get the assistance that they need to get through each day safely.
Would you like to learn more about how we can help your family achieve this? Let us know. We can get started with a free consultation and then help get you pointed toward the right care solutions for your unique set of needs.
Regardless of sexual orientation, gender, or anything else, every senior deserves access to high quality care. This means open and accepting senior care. Everyone deserves this, especially those that are the most vulnerable. We’re here to help. Please give us a call or an email to get started.
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