年长的LGBTQ成年人在给予和接受照顾方面面临着独特的挑战

每天早上, 卢瑟·莫斯利帮助了他35年的伴侣, 韦恩·柯蒂斯, 下了床，坐上了轮椅. 柯蒂斯, 患有帕金森病并且部分失明的人, 坐在淋浴间里自己洗澡, 但他需要莫斯利帮他擦干身子，然后坐回椅子上.

莫斯利给他们做饭，并把柯蒂斯的食物切成一口大小的小块. 他管理家务，买杂货. 他带着柯蒂斯往返于医生和他需要去的任何地方. 但事实上，他们很少再去任何地方了.

"We're pretty much isolated," said 莫克斯利, 74, who cares for 83-year-old 柯蒂斯 full time. 虽然柯蒂斯有家人，但没有人会帮他. 这对夫妇没有孩子. 莫克斯利, 谁没有幸存的家人, 想知道如果有一天他需要照顾自己的孩子会发生什么.

“我想我将不得不进入某种辅助生活，”他说.

这种情况在LGBTQ人群中太常见了, 随着人口老龄化，谁的照顾需求正在上升. 的 LGBTQ+老龄化国家资源中心 据估计，到2030年，美国将有700万儿童.S. 65岁及以上的LGBTQ人群.

的 number could grow even higher when younger generations reach their senior years. A 2021 Gallup poll shows the percentage of people who identify as LGBTQ grows with each subsequent generation. 大约21%的Z世代成年人公开表示有这种想法, 相比之下，千禧一代的这一比例为11%, 4%的X一代和3%的婴儿潮一代.

不像他们的顺性和异性恋同龄人, LGBTQ人群更有可能最终成为朋友的照顾者, 伴侣或家庭成员. 据估计，五分之一的LGBT人群是护理人员, 相比之下，一般人群中只有六分之一, 根据… 2015年护理报告 来自全国护理联盟和美国退休人员协会公共政策研究所.

LGBTQ people are less likely to have children to help care for them and are more likely to live alone, 大卫·文森特说, SAGE的首席项目官, a New York City-based national advocacy and service organization for older LGBTQ adults. 他们也更有可能面临歧视，感到孤立. “他们的支持网络非常薄弱."

莫克斯利 and 柯蒂斯 had a strong social support network when they lived in Palm Springs, 加州, 以其蓬勃发展的同性恋而闻名, 女同性恋, 双性恋和跨性别群体. But five years ago, they retired 266 miles west to Santa Maria, which is less openly gay.

"We got here and just as we were starting to socialize a bit and get to know gay people in the area, COVID打击,莫斯利说. 到大流行限制解除时, 柯蒂斯' condition had deteriorated too far to allow him to enjoy nights out or for 莫克斯利 to leave him home alone.

“在这一点上，我已经接受了我的处境，”莫斯利说. “我已经学会了适应."

莫克斯利 said attempts to bring in outside help were unsuccessful for a variety of reasons.

It's not uncommon for LGBTQ people to be reluctant to seek help from people unknown to them, 杰森·弗拉特说, an assistant professor in the department of social and behavioral health at the University of Nevada, 拉斯维加斯, 公共卫生学院. In addition to the general discomfort of having a stranger perform intimate tasks, 比如如厕, he said many LGBTQ people are concerned about receiving subpar care from people who might discriminate against them because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

詹德Keig, 奥兰多一名56岁的变性人, 佛罗里达, said same-sex couples often feel so apprehensive about being mistreated that they "de-gay the apartment when home health comes in, 因为他们不想面对任何偏见或虐待. 这一直是一个问题. 他们会注意到什么?"

凯格和他的妻子在他父亲患上痴呆症时照顾他. That's when Keig realized how little support there was for LGBTQ caregivers, especially men. 他最终在网上找到了一个分享他经历的人, 但那个人住在另一个州. 他的挣扎使他与人共同创立了LGBTQ护理中心, an online resource directory and social support hub to address the unique needs of LGBTQ caregivers.

“我想创造一个人们可以找到资源的地方，”凯格说.

他现在发现自己在思考自己的未来. 像莫斯利和柯蒂斯一样，他和他的妻子没有孩子要照顾. 的y're searching for a life plan community where they can age in place with continuing care services that grow with them as they age.

“我不担心融入，”凯格说. “如果我不告诉他们，没有人会知道我是变性人." But Keig will need testosterone shots for the rest of his life and wonders if he'd receive them if he weren't mentally competent enough to ask or if he'd run into resistance from nursing staff.

根据… 2021年美国退休人员协会调查, 41% of LGBTQ adults ages 45 and older were at least somewhat worried about having to hide their LGBTQ identity to access housing for older adults. Worry was most common among transgender and non-binary adults, with 58% expressing concern.

的 LGBTQ看护者中心 provides training to people who work with LGBTQ older adults and nursing home staff, so that someone who is transgender or has a same-sex partner doesn't experience discrimination, Keig说. 人权运动也在进行努力, 与SAGE合作, to produce a Long-Term Care Equality Index that evaluates facilities based on equity and inclusion of LGBTQ residents and patients.

文森特说SAGE已经提供了100多个,000 people in the elder care field with education to provide culturally competent care. 的y have accredited about 1,000 agencies across the country where staff have received this training.

"I think we need as a society to continue to train and support health care providers and social services providers to offer culturally competent and sensitive care to LGBTQ older adults so those who need services feel safe getting the care and support they need,文森特说.

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