LGBTI elders, dementia and human rights

I attended an amazing zoom broadcast in November on LGBTI elders and the discrimination these aged people can face in aged residential and home care. It was delivered by Dementia Training Australia and the host was Ms June Lowe. Ms Lowe spoke about how many LGTBI elders have lived a life of hiding due to sexual identity discrimination and their real concerns that they and their partner would be treated poorly. With dementia now in the picture for some of these LGTBI elders they no longer had the ability to hide their sexual identity from support services and this has led to horrible and inappropriate treatment not only from the service but also from family members who weren’t aware their now aged loved one is LGBTI. However with people like Ms Lowe steps have been taken to raise awareness of the perils LGBTI elders have and still do face in aged care services and settings.

It is a basic human right to feel be able to be safe in your own skin, in freely expressing your sexual orientation and to know you will receive the same level of support and level of dignity from support services (and hopefully family) as people who do not identify as LGBTI. The Human Rights Commission explains this further on About Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status Discrimination | Australian Human Rights Commission

Many support services are doing the right thing and training their staff to be inclusive of all people, from all walks of life and this is great news. There is also the Rainbow Tick accreditation for businesses and organisations, aiming to show their staff are inclusive sensitive to all the diverse people that inhabit the world Rainbow Tick Standards | QIP accreditation

Dementia Training Australia has also tried to improve the way LGBTI elders with Dementia are treated. I am to do this this free online course over the Christmas break and I hope you will join me in learning more about supporting our aged LGBTI elders also. Check out Caring for LGBTI people with dementia, Online dementia course, DTA