Visibility Matters
LGBTQI+ Older Adults, Dementia and End-of-Life Planning
Aging with Pride
By Sarah Bahnson , LGBTQI+ Community Liaison
On-going events: Registration is required for attendance ; soazseniorpride.org GBTQI+ Mens Loss Group ; weekly on Tuesday; 1:30–3pm; in-person Gayme Day; second Wednesday; 1–3pm; in-person For LGBTQI+ older adults who are less engaged in formal aging care, and have fewer options for informal support, who might they turn to for assistance with advance care planning after a dementia diagnosis? Gaps in aging care services for solo seniors leave many wondering, “Who will act as my Power of Attorney?” And, “Who will look out for me as my diagnosis progresses?” Unfortunately, there are no clear answers. Some options may be utilizing services for advance care planning through PCOA or Southern Arizona Senior Pride. Working with a specialist may be the these factors impact social isolation; which has been found to be more damaging to a person’s health than smoking almost one pack of cigarettes daily. (CDC) In addition, this social isolation may mean there is no informal caregiver available to provide support in the event of a dementia diagnosis, increasing the need for formalized in-home support. But in- home caregiver services can be expensive and may not be an available option for people who have experienced lifetimes of employment discrimination.
Book Club ; third Wednesday; 2–3:30pm; on Zoom Gathering in Himmel Park ; third Saturday; 10–11:30am; in-person Walk and Roll ; Enjoy an outdoor activity with friendly people; third Tuesday; time will vary; in-person There are more events each month. Stay tuned in on the website. best way to capture a person’s values and wishes around their aging and dying goals. If a Power of Attorney cannot be identified, having one’s wishes written down and registered in a Living Will may be the best path forward for solo seniors. PCOA has an End-of-Life-Care team that can work with individuals to help them think through their needs as dementia diagnosis progresses. Southern Arizona Senior Pride also helps with advance care planning which includes “The Sixth Wish,” a tool specifically designed for LGBTQI+ older adults who may have unique social situations that state laws may not favor. Programmatic options for socialization may help improve opportunities for LGBTQI+ older adults diagnosed with dementia. Please see Senior Pride options below. PCOA hosts Café at the Katie, an inclusive memory café for people living with dementia and their caregivers. The café occurs on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month, at 600 S. Country Club, from 10 am – 11 am. To learn more contact Nicole Thomas at nthomas@pcoa.org.
So. AZ Senior Pride celebrating, supporting and uniting LGBTQI+ older adults (520) 312-8923; info@soazseniorpride. org; soazseniorpride.org All in-person, indoor events require masks. Advance care planning for LGBTQI+ people living with dementia can present unique challenges. Lifetimes of stigma and discrimination have impacted LGBTQI+ older adults in both the formal and informal systems that aging care relies upon. Formal systems of aging care include medical support (primary care, medical specialists, etc.), in-home care providers, and palliative and hospice care providers. For LGBTQI+ older adults, “they may be hesitant to seek out healthcare and receive less comprehensive care when they do.” (Bechtold) Less comprehensive engagement in formalized systems of healthcare increases health disparities in this community. Additionally, LGBTQI+ older adults are more likely to experience the negative health outcomes of social isolation, more so than their straight and cisgender peers. LGBTQI+ people are twice as likely to be single and living alone and four times less likely to have children. (SAGE) They are also more likely to have strained relationships with family of origin. All of
Page 28 | June 2023, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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