A set of best practice guidelines – accommodating older GLBTI people have been developed for the retirement and residential aged care sector in WA, to facilitate the provision of GLBTI-inclusive services.

Further background information can be found in the Retirement Accommodation and Aged Care Issues for Non-Heterosexual Populations, Literature Review.

We dont have any of those people here
Best Practice Guidelines
Literature Review

These will all available on our website www.grai.org.au from July 12. So please take a look or better still, come to the launch! (see next page for details).

GRAI operates as a member based organisation with an elected board. Our 2010 AGM is scheduled for Tuesday 17 August and will be held at the Freedom Centre in Brisbane Street starting at 6.00pm with refreshments.

All members are urged to attend – the AGM is always an opportunity for a pleasant get together as well as the business of the meeting. We are also seeking a couple more board members as we have several of our members retiring. Please do not be shy about self nominating or giving me a call to discuss what is involved (0422 654244). A warm welcome awaits you from the existing board.

One of our retiring board members will be Virginia Hailes who was a community representative on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association WA.

Virginia bought a great input to the board and especially was active in getting GLBTI issues on the agenda of Alzheimer’s Australia in WA. Alzheimer’s Australia also supported the board by providing us with a meeting place and we thank them for that. We also welcome a new board member, Brett Tizard.

We have recently done a new print run of our GRAI brochure and if any member would like some to put out at their work place, or share with friends etc, please email us (info@grai.com) and we will get some in the mail for you.

Wearing our advocacy hat, GRAI made a submission to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee for its inquiry into planning options and services for people ageing with a disability. Thanks to board member June Lowe for work on this.

As always, your board is here to listen to your suggestions and remember, GRAI is your organisation – so get involved!

Jude Comfort, Chair

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

• Research Launch
• Pennies from heaven
• Recent conferences
• Rainbow Vision
• Productivity Commission review
• Thoughts on the American situation
• Where will all the Queens go?

GRAI MATTERS July 2010

GRAI (Gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and intersex Retirement Association Inc.) is delighted to invite you to the launch of the report “We don’t have any of those people here: Retirement accommodation and aged care issues for non-heterosexual populations” and best practice guidelines “Accommodating older gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and intersex people”.

To be launched by Ambassador for Ageing Noeline Brown, and hosted by Verity James.

“We don’t have any of those people here” launch invite

Monday 12 July 2010, 5.30 – 7pm
Kingia Care Centre
5 Allen Court, Bentley, WA 6102

View Kingia in a larger map

RSVP to Rita Freijah by 2 July 2010
ritamon@iinet.net.au
Phone 0404 678 673

GRAI report 2007

Establishing the Need
Data gathered on the needs and interests from within the community
Survey N = 144
The demographic data collected included:

• Sexual orientation
• Gender
• Employment status
• Age

Among the results were:

Gender:
Male = 70
Female = 69
Trans = 4
Intersex = 1

Age Range:

Sexual Orientation:
Gay = 66 Lesbian = 56 Bisexual = 1
Queer = 1 Dyke = 2 Straight = 3
Same-sex attracted = 2 Don’t use labels = 3 Other = 2
(NB: not all respondents answered all questions)

Establishing the Need
Community Survey Results:
Respondents were asked to respond to a series of eleven statements with selected responses including:

• Strongly Agree (SA)
• Agree (A)
• Disagree (D)
• Strongly Disagree (SD)

The survey also included an invitation to offer suggestions and comments for further consideration.

• 53 respondents indicated they were currently looking or interested in retirement accommodation/living options:
  • 133 – were interested in retirement options in future
  • 112 – were concerned that they or someone they know may experience discrimination within the existing retirement accommodation sector/industry on the basis of sexual orientation
  • 115 – felt their needs would not be met in the current environment
  • 83 – felt they would be able to afford the kind of retirement or accommodation they wanted in the future
• When thinking about retirement accommodation/living:
  • 95 – agreed that a primary consideration was financial cost
  • 96 – agreed that a primary consideration was housing style
  • 91 – agreed that a primary consideration was location
  • 89 – agreed that a primary consideration was lifestyle/recreation
  • 125 – agreed that a primary consideration was acceptance/understanding of their sexuality/same-sex relationship
  • 43 – agreed they were interested in retirement accommodation/lifestyle for their parents

Focus Groups:
Members of the GLBTI community were invited to attend a series of Focus Groups by advertising in the community press and fliers distributed at community events.
The Focus Groups were held in August at a central Perth location. Attendees at these sessions were asked a series of open-ended questions which included:

• What are key issues that you are facing that need to be addressed?
• How well do you think your needs are currently being met?
• How can GRAI become an effective advocate for the GLBTI community?
• What individual commitment are individuals prepared to make to assist GRAI to be an effective advocate?

A summary of the findings from these Focus Groups indicates the following:

• Issues including isolation and loss of partners/friends are a main and recurring concern/issue for older GLBTI people;
• Some people said they fear going into existing care/retirement facilities due to not ‘fitting in’;
• Some people said they feel they will always need to be ‘on their guard’ if they go into existing care/retirement facilities;
• There is a perception that existing aged care/retirement facilities have very homophobic attitudes;
• There was some acknowledgment that there is some change/more openness in the wider community towards accepting GLBTI people in general;
• There is a lack of family/informal care networks for older people in the GLBTI community;
• There is a perceived lack of support groups for older people in the GLBTI community;
• Some people said they want to live among non-judgmental people;
• Other said they need choices and options like everyone else in the community;
• There’s a perception that existing aged care/retirement facilities lack accommodation options for GLBTI people;
• There is a perception that attitudes of staff towards GLBTI people need to be changed;
• It was seen that there is insufficient training for staff in existing aged care/retirement facilities on GLBTI issues and how to speak with and treat GLBTI people;
• Some people said they want to be part of more integrated communities not necessarily just specific GLBTI aged care facilities;
• Existing facilities must acknowledge differences and be prepared to understand and cater for the wants and needs of older GLBTI people.

Although GRAI is a small member‐based organisation, we always seem to have more than enough to keep us busy – and 2010 will be no different.

GRAI’s social research grant is proceeding well (see later article). Look out for the launch of the final report and the best practice guidelines due out in the next few months. I am fortunate to be off to Sydney for the Health in Difference conference and then Melbourne to the International Federation of Ageing conference. I will be able to profile the work of GRAI and also be able to discuss a range of gay research issues nationally. It can sometimes feel a bit isolated working in WA but rest assured GRAI is highly regarded on the national gay ageing front.

Jude Comfort
Chair GRAI

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

GRAI MATTERS April 2010

GRAI also made a submission to the Senate inquiry.

Canberra Times: Concern as older gays hit by blues – Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

The paper was launched in NSW by the Hon. Michael Kirby, former Justice of the High Court of Australia.

GRAI’s Jude Comfort and Virginia Hales, who also works for Alzheimer’s Australia (WA), launched the paper in Perth.

The paper can be found at alzheimers.org.au with a good media article on the launch at australianageingagenda.com.au