Aged care inclusion welcomed
Australia’s peak LGBTI health body has broadly welcomed the inclusion of LGBTI seniors in the Productivity Commission’s report into aged care – Caring for Older Australians.
The final report, released this week, details the concerns of LGBTI seniors, including fear of discrimination in aged care services.
“Many older gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people have experienced considerable discrimination over the course of their lives and this may continue in aged care where their sexuality and/or gender identity are not recognised or supported in the delivery of aged care services,” the report stated.
National LGBTI Health Alliance CEO Warren Talbot said the inclusion is welcome.
“The main reason we welcome the report is there is explicit recognition of the needs of gay and lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex older people in Australia,” Talbot told the Star Observer.
“There had been some concern that the Commission may have subsumed LGBTI people under a general category of [cultural and linguistic] diversity, the Commission hasn’t done that and that’s a very positive thing in terms of recognition of LGBTI concerns.”
Talbot said it now up to the Department of Health and Ageing to be proactive and come up with ways to deal with the problem.
“There is now a number of questions for government to consider in terms of government’s response to the report and what actions it will take,” he said.
Gerontologist and GLBTI ageing expert Dr Jo Harrison said including the needs of LGBTI seniors in the report was a “ significant historical breakthrough.”
“It lays the groundwork for us to make sure that the government follows through on the issues raised, including the need for GLBTI inclusive policies and services, the training of providers, the provision of independent advocacy services, further research and the identification of GLBTI friendly services,” Harrison said.
Last month GLBTI seniors advocates urged the Gillard Government to develop a national action plan to take a coordinated approach to ensuring aged-care services are GLBTI-friendly across Australia.
After the report’s release, Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler announced he will tour Australia to seek the views of the aged care sector before the government responds.
“It will be extremely valuable for all of us to be able to convey our concerns and obtain some concrete commitments from government during the consultation process to take place over the next few months,” Harrison said.
Harrison said it was important LGBTI seniors who are reliant on the pension are not worse off under any moves towards degregulating aged-care services and said any new regulatory systems must ensure there is no risk of discrimination or abuse to LGBTI elders.
David Urquhart,
Great Post!
“We got gusto, we are headstrong.
We still got the taste dancin’ on our tongues.
Fill our bellies and we fill our lungs.
We still got the taste dancin’ on our tongues.”
(We still got the taste of dancin’ on our tongues, Wild Beasts)
Well, that’s how I feel right now about this good news. I am a seventy-two year old queer who survived the dreadful 40s, the appalling 50s, enjoyed the socially liberating 60s and 70s and fought for gay liberation in the 80s.
It’s not much to ask that, as we age, we are treated decently and without discrimination based on sexuality or gender.
My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has worked hard to get this result. My extra special thanks to those selfless folks who are either not elders or not queer. You know who you are. To quote Michael McIntyre, give them all your love.
Keep on dancin’.
It is abhorrent that some older members of the GLBTI community can still face significant discrimination when accessing aged care services. Access to Health Care, is a fundamental human right. I think this problem could have been resolved had we been included in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act. I simply cannot understand why there is still a need to discriminate with government spending in Health.
Perhaps moving forward GLBTI friendly policies can become part of the accreditation for Nursing Homes and aged Care Services. The present situation relies on the good will of some Nursing Homes, and some of the very dedicated staff, to make a real difference. We need legislative protection so we all can have guaranteed access to Health services free of all discrimination.