New guidance released to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in UK care homes

Researchers at the University of Kent, in collaboration with Surrey and Hertfordshire universities, have developed new guidance for care homes to support inclusive care provision for older LGBTQ+ people.

The new guide, which is available to download for free, is part of a research project, Creating Inclusive Residential Care for LGBTQ+ Elders (CIRCLE), which aims to understand how care providers can improve services for LGBTQ+ users.

“Research shows that the older LGBTQ+ population is expected to rely more heavily on social care than their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts, because they are less likely to have children and more likely to experience a lack of social support,” said Dr Jolie Keemink, who led the CIRCLE research project.

“Older LGBTQ+ people may also have unique health risks that increase their likelihood of needing care. There is an urgent need for improvements with regards to LGBTQ+ inclusion within care homes and we hope that this guide can play a useful role in this.”

“There is an increased need for explicit LGBTQ+ inclusive services to signal people are safe to be themselves” – Dr Jolie Keemink

The guidance arrives following a study by Stonewall which found that 61% of LGB people were not confident that social care and support services were equipped to support their needs. That same study found that 47% of LGB people said they would not be comfortable being open about their sexuality to care home staff.

As a result, many LGBTQ+ people worry about going “back in the closet” when they get older in order to remain safe.

In fact, according to a report by Metro, more than 400 reports of homophobic abuse in care homes were reported to elderly abuse charity Compassion in Care’s helpline.

The issue was the subject of a moving short film, Ted & Noel, which focussed on Gay Liberation Front (GLF) veteran Ted Brown and his journey after losing his civil partner Noel, who was subjected to physical abuse while living in a care home in Croydon in 2018.

“There are at least 1 million people over the age of 50 who identify as LGBTQ+. These generations have lived through decades of discriminatory policies and laws that have severely impacted their confidence in public services,” Dr Keemink wrote in a blog post.

“These policies and laws have led to trauma, stress, and internalised stigma for the LGBTQ+ community, which may have significant health implications. Additionally, because of these experiences, there is an increased need for explicit LGBTQ+ inclusive services to signal people are safe to be themselves.”

The new guidance was developed in conjunction with a group of older LGBTQ+ people and care home managers and will provide “actionable steps that are easy to implement that will help make the care home environment more LGBTQ+ inclusive”.