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Gay Seniors rely on close friendship
networks when ill
Newswise — Older adults who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB)
have “a history of caregiving” that creates
networks of people who support each other
during their senior years, according to a
questionnaire study of 199 LGB seniors.
The study found that more than two-thirds of the participants
had provided care to one or more people
during the previous five years.
“These findings contradict old myths about elderly gay people
leading lonely lives of quiet desperation,”
said Dr. Robert-Jay Green, executive
director of the Rockway Institute, a
national center for LGBT research and public
policy.
“LGB seniors create vibrant communities of care that overcome
the difficulties posed by discrimination or
by greater levels of rejection from their
biological families.”
The study was conducted by Arnold H. Grossman and Eliza
Dragowski of New York University, and
Anthony D’Augelli of Pennsylvania State
University and was published in the
Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services,
Vol. 18, No. 3/4, 2007, pp. 15-38.
The sample of LGB adults was aged 40 to 85 and was recruited
from agencies providing services to LGB
elders in New York City and Los Angeles.
About one-quarter of participants were age
40 to 59; the remaining three-quarters were
60 years or older.
The group was highly educated, with 63 percent having
completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Participants were asked about their history of giving and
receiving care. Other questions dealt with
their physical and mental health; their
feelings about homosexuality, stress, social
support, coping skills; and their
perceptions of the burdens and benefits of
caregiving.
Thirty-eight percent of participants reported they had
received care from others (who were not
health-care professionals) during the
previous five years. Sixty-seven percent had
provided care to others.
The illnesses for which participants provided care were
HIV/AIDS – 30 percent; cancer – 29 percent;
muscular/skeletal illnesses – 21 percent;
cardiovascular disease – 19 percent and
other chronic illnesses associated with
aging – 26 percent.
Having received help was strongly related to providing help.
Of those who had received help, 76 percent
had taken care of others. Of those who had
not received help, 60 percent had taken care
of others. More than three-quarters stated
that they were willing to provide care to
LGB people in the future.
The researchers observed that networks of support are
especially significant for LGB seniors, who
may be physically or emotionally distant
from their biological family, may be
closeted, or may fear or suffer
discrimination based on their sexual
orientation. Many of these LGB seniors may
not know for certain who will provide care
in a crisis, or they face financial issues
because they are not covered under partner
health plans as would be true for married
heterosexual couples.
“These results provide a glimpse of the social networks urban
LGB seniors have established to cope with
homophobia in their communities, rejection
from their families, exclusion from the
financial benefits of marriage, and in most
cases, absence of children to take care of
them in old age,” said Green.
“Some social theorists have even referred to these peer
networks as ‘families of choice’ because of
the closeness and interconnected reciprocity
of care involved. Thus, the results of the
current study refute the old stereotype that
LGB people are destined for empty lives and
lonely deaths as they age. Indeed, these
findings reveal the opposite – a remarkable
‘culture of care’ among LGB seniors.”
About Rockway Institute: The nonpartisan Rockway Institute
promotes scientific and professional
expertise to counter antigay prejudice and
improve public policies affecting lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
people.
The Institute’s view is that public opinion, policies, and
programs should be shaped by the facts about
LGBT lives, not by political ideology.
A primary goal is to organize the most knowledgeable social
scientists, mental health professionals, and
physicians in the United States to provide
accurate information about LGBT issues to
the media, legislatures, and the courts.
The Institute also conducts targeted research projects to
address the nation’s most pressing LGBT
public policy concerns.
