Silver Rainbow: Ageing and Aged Care

Historically, LGBTI people have a shared experience of discrimination and prejudice. Many LGBTI elders have experienced violence, isolation, and stigma throughout their lives. These elders often do not or cannot disclose their identities or histories to services and can remain invisible in the aged care sector and broader community.

The Silver Rainbow project is designed to improve the experiences of LGBTI people as they age and enter the Australian aged care system. Australia was the first country to have a National LGBTI Ageing & Aged Care Strategy. Combined with other legal reforms, this has resulted in the ageing and aged care sector being increasingly focused on inclusive practice, but more work is needed to meet the health and wellbeing needs of LGBTI elders.

Through this project, LGBTI Health Alliance educates service providers, policy makers, LGBTI people and the general community about how to meet the needs of LGBTI elders. We also connect LGBTI elders to services and resources. Together we are working to ensure aged care services are inclusive of the diverse genders, bodies, sexualities and relationships of older Australians.

Aged Care Training

Resources:

Findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and its Impact on LGBTIQ+ People

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA) welcomes the public release of the much-awaited Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Impact of COVID-19 on Older LGBTI Australians

A diverse group of 17 older self-identified LGBTI people were recruited to describe their experience of living in self-isolation.

Submissions: Royal Commission into Aged Care

The entire aged care system needs to be re-designed so that LGBTI older people are at the centre of the system rather than resorting to ‘safety nets’ or adding things onto the system to make it inclusive.

LGBTI People and Dementia

This guide was prepared by Dementia Australia for LGBTI people living with dementia, their families, friends and care partners.

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Begins Second Round of Consultations about Aged Care Services

In 2019, the National LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) Health Alliance (the Alliance) ran a series of consultations with LGBTI elders and older people, friends, family members, allies, carers, aged care workers and representative organisations.

Silver Rainbow: LGBTIQ+ Aged Care Awareness Training

The Silver Rainbow LGBTI Aged Care Awareness Training Project is managed by LGBTIQ+ Health Australia and is delivered collaboratively with project partners across every state and territory in Australia. It is funded by the Department of Health until June 2020.

COVID-19: Royal Commision into Aged Care Update

LGBTI EXPERIENCE OF THE AGED CARE SYSTEM:

The Alliance has been funded to represent the views, experiences and aspirations of older LGBTI people utilising the aged care system.

Dementia Australia Resources

Dementia Australia advocates for the needs of people living with all types of dementia, and for their families and carers. They have developed a suite of resources for LGBTI people with dementia, their families and carers, and services providers. Follow the link below to access the full set of resources.

Rainbow Ageing Papers

Rainbow Ageing is a national research project that aims to provide new data on the health and well-being of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Australians.

3rd National Roundtable on LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care

In October 2019, thirty-five delegates attended the 3^rd National Roundtable on Ageing and Aged Care. This meeting produced some clear directions for the Alliance to work towards in the ageing and aged care space.

Aged Care Inclusive Practice Poster

This free-to-download 'You are welcome here' poster helps aged care service providers communicate to clients that LGBTI people are welcome at their service.

Cycle of Invisibility Resource

The cycle of invisibility is a model for understanding exclusion and invisibility for LGBTI people. This resource was developed by Silver Rainbow for aged care workers, however it can be easily used by other sectors.

The Rainbow Makers

This resource highlights the importance of culturally safe aged care services and the power of aged care service providers to make a difference to the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse and intersex (LGBTI) elders and older people.

Webinar: LGBTI Older People and Ageing

The ageing population in Australia is dramatically increasing demand for ageing and aged care services. Older LGBTI Australians have lived through a time in the nation’s history when they suffered stigma, discrimination, pathologisation, criminalisation, family rejection and social exclusion and isolation.

Tango Project Report

The Tango Project was launched in 2017 by Dr Catherine Barrett, Director of Alice’s Garage. The aim of the project is to address the difficulties (including abuse and discrimination) that LGBTI elders face on the basis of their LGBTI identities.

10 Questions to Ask About LGBTI Residential Aged Care

This brochure is designed to help you when deciding which residential aged care home meets your needs.

Safeguarding the End of the Rainbow

This guide tailored for older LGBTI community members on how to plan for future care and medical needs, finances and estate, and funeral and burial wishes.

Aged Care Diversity Framework

The Aged Care Diversity Framework is a high-level document that provides guidance to service providers, consumers, government and peak bodies on how to adequately address the specific needs of all people with diverse characteristics and life experiences.

Carer Gateway: The Starting Point for Carer Advice

Each day in Australia, millions of people provide care and assistance to another person needing help to go about their everyday lives.

Developing an LGBTI Inclusive Practice Policy

This factsheet provides a list of key issues and questions that service providers should use to cover in their policies to ensure that their service meets the needs of older people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex.

Working with LGBTI People: Elders

Resource for how health practitioners, organisations and service providers can increase inclusive practice to meet the needs of LGBTI Elders.

Choosing an LGBTI Inclusive Ageing and Aged Care Service

A multipurpose tool to support people who are beginning to access ageing & aged care services. The factsheet provides a series of questions that can help people to decide if a service is LGBTI inclusive.

The Facts: Elder Abuse and Domestic Violence

This factsheet provides some information for LGBTI elders regarding elder abuse and domestic violence, including a number of contacts to seek additional help.

LGBT Programming for Older Adults: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

The guide offers aged care providers ideas and tips on planning, choosing a movie, discussion questions and evaluation. These guidelines are easy to customise to meet different clients’ needs.

Face the Facts Resource

Face the Facts: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex people was developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2014. The resource provides an overview of what is known about LGBTI people in Australia with a focus on human rights.

Respect My Decisions - It's My Right!

This resource addresses the specific needs of the LGBTI people in relation to planning in advance for the end-stage of life. It explains how you can make your wishes known about your future healthcare, lifestyle, finances and property, in case the time comes when you cannot speak for yourself, and what your options and rights are.