New guidance released to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in UK care homes

An elderly couple holding hands LGBTQ+
47% of LGB people said they would not be comfortable being open about their sexuality to care home staff (Image: Pixabay)

Researchers at the University of Kent, in collaboration with Surrey and Hertfordshire universities, have developed new guidance for care homes to support inclusive care provision for older LGBTQ+ people.

The new guide, which is available to download for free, is part of a research project, Creating Inclusive Residential Care for LGBTQ+ Elders (CIRCLE), which aims to understand how care providers can improve services for LGBTQ+ users.

“Research shows that the older LGBTQ+ population is expected to rely more heavily on social care than their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts, because they are less likely to have children and more likely to experience a lack of social support,” said Dr Jolie Keemink, who led the CIRCLE research project.

“Older LGBTQ+ people may also have unique health risks that increase their likelihood of needing care. There is an urgent need for improvements with regards to LGBTQ+ inclusion within care homes and we hope that this guide can play a useful role in this.”

“There is an increased need for explicit LGBTQ+ inclusive services to signal people are safe to be themselves” – Dr Jolie Keemink

The guidance arrives following a study by Stonewall which found that 61% of LGB people were not confident that social care and support services were equipped to support their needs. That same study found that 47% of LGB people said they would not be comfortable being open about their sexuality to care home staff.

As a result, many LGBTQ+ people worry about going “back in the closet” when they get older in order to remain safe.

In fact, according to a report by Metro, more than 400 reports of homophobic abuse in care homes were reported to elderly abuse charity Compassion in Care’s helpline.

The issue was the subject of a moving short film, Ted & Noel, which focussed on Gay Liberation Front (GLF) veteran Ted Brown and his journey after losing his civil partner Noel, who was subjected to physical abuse while living in a care home in Croydon in 2018.

“There are at least 1 million people over the age of 50 who identify as LGBTQ+. These generations have lived through decades of discriminatory policies and laws that have severely impacted their confidence in public services,” Dr Keemink wrote in a blog post.

“These policies and laws have led to trauma, stress, and internalised stigma for the LGBTQ+ community, which may have significant health implications. Additionally, because of these experiences, there is an increased need for explicit LGBTQ+ inclusive services to signal people are safe to be themselves.”

The new guidance was developed in conjunction with a group of older LGBTQ+ people and care home managers and will provide “actionable steps that are easy to implement that will help make the care home environment more LGBTQ+ inclusive”.

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