Aging LGBT Population Facing Unique Challenges

Summit to Address the Needs of the Community

The first Miami Valley LGBT Horizons of Aging Summit focusing on issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults will be held February 11 and 12, 2019, at the Sinclair College Conference Center in Dayton. It is being presented by the United Church Homes’ Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging, Rainbow Elder Care of Greater Dayton and Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County.

The event will be headlined by a screening of the film Gen Silent which chronicles the challenges of older LGBT individuals seeking support as they age.Nationally renowned speakers include producerStu Maddux of the film Gen Silent, Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey, national leader of LGBT Initiatives for AARP, and Dr. Jason Flatt, University of California San Francisco, who recently released the first major research on dementia in the LGBT community.

Breakout session topics will include: culturally competent LGBT care/service, affordable senior living, transgender aging, Social Security and hospice care for LGBT individuals.

Public Health’s LGBTQ Health Initiatives Project Manager, Jerry Mallicoat said, “For the first time in America we have a growing population of older LGBT people who have lived quite openly when they were younger. As they age and need support services, these individuals often face bias, stigma, and discrimination from healthcare and other service providers that might not care for older LGBT adults in a way that is both culturally-competent and sensitive to their needs. Sometimes, older LGBT people feel the need to go back in the closet to get necessary services, and we need to avoid that happening so they can live affirmed lives as they age.”

“This event is really about building community,” said Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, executive director of United Church Homes’ Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging. “United Church Homes wants to open peoples’ eyes and hearts to the challenges older LGBT adults face, and drive collaborative solutions that nurture their personal and spiritual needs as they age.”

The conference is open to medical and social work professionals, the LGBT community and college students. To register, visit https://horizons-lgbt.eventbrite.com.

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Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging convenes experts in healthcare and aging to collaborate on improving the quality of life for older adults. It is an education and advocacy arm of United Church Homes, a leading senior living services provider with three communities in the Dayton area.

Rainbow Elder Care of Greater Dayton provides advocacy, educational resources, social support and referral services to the elder LGBT community and allies in the Greater Dayton area.