March 2012 

 Best,

Bob Linscott

Assistant Director, LGBT Aging Project 

Lisa Krinsky, LICSW

Director, LGBT Aging Project

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LGBT Elders in a Changing World: An interdisciplinary conference.

On Friday, March 16th, North Shore Elder Services, the School of Social Work at Salem State University, and the LGBT Aging Project co-sponsored the first full day conference in New England dealing with issues regarding older persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Over 240 persons attended coming from at least twelve states and the District of Columbia. The day was kicked off with opening remarks from Secretary Ann Harstein from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Kim Driscoll, Salem's Mayor, Nancy Stager, Executive Vice President of Eastern Bank, Human Resources and Charitable Giving and Keynote Address by Judith Bradford, Director of Center for Population Research in LGBT Health at the Fenway Institute.   

Planning has already begun for the second annual conference to be held on Friday, March 15, 2013 at the Marsh Conference Center at Salem State University.

>> Click here to view photos from the day 

LGBT Bereavement Support Groups: Spring 2012
For Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people of all ages coping with the loss of a loved one.

 LGBT Bereavement: General Loss Support Group

Location: Dennis / Cape Cod  

Registration: 1-800-631-3900 x7715 

Tuesday evenings 5:00 to 6:30pm

April 3 to May 22 

Co-sponsored by Cape Cod VNA

LGBT Bereavement: General Loss Support Group

Location: Sharon

Registration: (617) 477-6610

Wednesday Evenings 6:00 to 7:30pm

April 4th to May 30

Co-Sponsored by HESSCO and Sharon Adult Center

LGBT Bereavement: General Loss Support Group

Location: Watertown / Greater Boston

Registration: (617) 477-6610

Thursday evenings 6:00 to 7:30pm

April 12th to May 31st

LGBT Bereavement: General Loss Support Group for Communities of Color 

Location: Roxbury   

Registration: (617) 477-6610

Tuesday evenings 6:30 to 8:00pm

Dates: April 17 - May 29

The LGBT Bereavement Groups are funded by the Mass Department of Public Health and facilitated by Ethos and The LGBT Aging Project. Partner Organizations providing additional LGBT Bereavement Groups include: Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston, Beacon Hospice and Cape Cod VNA Hospice Bereavement Support Program. All groups are free and run for 8 weeks. All groups require pre-registration. For more information on the LGBT Bereavement Program contact Bob Linscott at (617) 477-6610 or blinscott@lgbtagingproject.org. 

Memory Training for LGBT Older Adults and Caregivers is part of the LGBT Aging Project's Healthy Aging Program funded by The Tufts Health Plan Foundation.

Gay Classics Weekly Book Group

Do you love to read gay fiction? Why not join this weekly group for entertaining and lively discussions about your favorite books. The group meets every Thursday at 10:15am in the Emmanuel Room at Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston. After the group you are welcome to stay for lunch at Ethos' LGBT Community Meal Site - Cafe Emmanuel. The group is currently reading short stories by Edmund White in the collection Skinned Alive. They recently finished Alternatives to Sex by Stephen McCauley (pictured in center) who came to the group last month to join in on the discussion and read from his new book Insignificant Others. The group decides together what books they will read. Want to learn more? Call Sam Goldfarb at (617) 983-2184. 

Knitting and Crochet Class for LGBT Older Adults & Friends

Have you always wanted to knit or crochet? Are you already a knitter who would love to knit or crochet in the company of other LGBT friends? We have a wonderful volunteer who has offered to teach a free class for LGBT older adults and caregivers. This class is for women and men! Interested? We have a wonderful volunteer who has offered her time and enthusiasm to lead this group. Call Erin at (617) 477-6695.    

Lifelong Learning Programs:

Speaking of Memory Training, If you are not taking continuing education courses to stimulate your mind and your world- what are you waiting for? There is a world out there ready for you to explore. It's never too late and in Massachusetts we have TWO LGBT Life Long Learning Groups:

Stonewall Communites-at UMass Boston/OLLI

Rainbow Lifelong Learning Institute
Rainbow Lifelong Learning Institute Boston offers lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors and friends the opportunity to build and strengthen community through educational programs and social activities. Courses are held at the First Parish Unitarian Church in Arlington. For more information email: RainbowLLIBoston@gmail.com.     

Statement by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on LGBT Health Awareness Week 2012

From US Department Of Health and Human Services 

LGBT Health Awareness Week is an important time to highlight the progress our country is making to address the unique health needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans, especially through implementation of the health care law, the Affordable Care Act.

Studies have shown that health disparities related to sexual orientation and gender identity are due in part to lower rates of health coverage and a lack of cultural competency in the health care system. The Affordable Care Act is already helping millions of Americans gain access to care by creating coverage options for people with pre-existing conditions, and under the law, beginning in 2014, every American will have access to health care through Affordable Insurance Exchanges, new competitive marketplaces where Americans will be able to purchase affordable coverage and have the same choices of insurance that members of Congress will have.  These same benefits are or will be available to LGBT Americans across the country.

The Affordable Care Act also strengthens training for health care providers, devotes new resources to improving our primary care workforce, and increases funding for community health centers, where patients are served regardless of how much they can afford to pay.  We know that members of the LGBT community may be more likely to be underinsured or uninsured, making the Affordable Care Act all the more important. 

In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services continues to address the specific health concerns of LGBT Americans, including by working to incorporate data collection on LGBT populations into national health surveys, releasing rules requiring hospitals to allow same-sex partners the ability to visit each other in the hospital, and setting up an internal working group that ensures we are effectively coordinating policies to best address LGBT health needs across every agency in the Department. 

Our Department is committed to improving the health of all Americans, including LGBT Americans, and we look forward to continuing this work during LGBT Health Awareness Week and beyond.

For more information on how the Department is working to improve LGBT Health and Well-being, visit http://www.hhs.gov/secretary/about/lgbthealth_update_2011.html 

Read the Departments recommendations for future LGBT Health improvements at http://www.hhs.gov/secretary/about/lgbthealth.html 

Learn how health reform is giving LGBT Americans more control over their health care at http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/01/new-options-for-lgbt-americans.html 

 The aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender cohort is expanding along with the rest of the older population, increasing the importance for aging services providers to know how to best serve and support them, according to SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders).

The organization recently released a guide created to answer questions from older adult service providers about differences in the aging experience among the LGBT community, and how those differences should be "reflected and honored."

There are an estimated 1.5 million adults aged 65 and older who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and by 2030, this number is expected to double, according to SAGE; previous research has revealed housing to be the number one need for LGBT seniors.    

"The vast majority of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults have lived through discrimination, social stigma, and the effects of prejudice both past and present," says SAGE, and "aging service providers should be aware that the effects of a lifetime of stigma, discrimination, rejection and ridicule puts LGBT older adults at greater risk for physical and mental illnesses," along with other issues including social isolation and delayed care-seeking.

For this reason, it's important for aging service providers to address common misconceptions about LGBT clientele, incorporate proper, inclusive terminology into intake forms, emergency contact forms, and other personal documents, include marketing techniques that can also appeal to and welcome marginalized, diverse populations, and add LGBT-specific programming for clients.

Clearly defined non-discrimination policies also play a role in ensuring that an agency or provider's environment is inclusive for diverse populations, and this should extend to all staff members, not just supervisors, says SAGE.

The guide is meant to "provide aging organizations and aging professionals with information, inspiration, and ideas for improving the lives of LGBT older adults."  

>> Click here to view the report  

On Going Support Groups

Community Meal Programs For LGBT Older Adults

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