An article about care for the elderly relates to older lesbians & gays but forced teaming & the lengthy acronym indicates that a residential setting might include men who identify as women & heterosexuals who identify as queer. L & Gs need their own space
People forget we exist': Why older LGBTQ+ people fear losing identity
https://archive.ph/ly30V#selection-553.1-553.70"As a 75-year-old lesbian, Mindy Meleyal has lived through every major milestone in the modern LGBT rights movement, from the start of decriminalisation in 1967 to the first same-sex marriages in 2014.
But now she says this important part of her identity is frequently overlooked due to her age.
She's part of England's older LGBTQ+ community, which a new report suggests often experiences poorer health, more limited finances and greater social isolation than the wider older population.
The report, from the Centre for Ageing Better, says without specialist support, this growing demographic could be forced "back into the closet" when accessing care, warning they may even delay getting the care they need because of concerns about homophobia.
Adam Porter, a housing development manager from the LGBT Foundation charity, says he regularly meets older members of the community in exactly that situation.
"It's very common for people to hide things if they have a carer visiting their home, for example hiding their wedding photos or taking down a trans flag," he says.
"In the case of someone moving into a care environment, that means hiding who they are in their own home, for what could be the rest of their life."
He says he has been "horrified" by some of the stories he has heard meeting older LGBTQ+ people, including some who have had carers offer to "pray for them" regarding their sexuality.
Porter is part of the team behind Kindred House, a first-of-its-kind LGBTQ+ social housing scheme for over-55s, set to open in Manchester next year.
Great Places A computer generated image of a grassy courtyard outside a new-build block of apartments. They're made with red brick and have large windows and balconies.Great Places
An artist's impression of what Kindred House will look like when it opens
The scheme, a joint project with the local council, will provide 80 self-contained apartments and communal areas available to the local community.
The majority of residents will be LGBTQ+.
The Kindred House scheme is what's known as extra-care housing, which means residents live independently, but there is a 24/7 care team available for those who need extra help, and all staff will receive specialist training around LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Porter says he hopes the scheme will "trigger some conversations" about how to best support older LGBTQ+ people in the challenges they face.
'People start clumping you together with other stereotypes'
Mindy and her wife Linda have been together for more than 30 years, but says they're often mistaken for sisters.
"She's 18 inches taller than me, I've got a Yorkshire accent and she's got a Northern Irish accent," Mindy says. "I think it's pretty obvious we weren't brought up in the same building."
She believes part of that is often down to people presuming she is straight because of her age.
"There are different tribes of people in every age group, but when you get older, people start clumping you together with other stereotypes," she says.
Mindy Meleyal A black and white photo of a woman in her late 20s. She is leaning against a skip and has aviator sunglasses on and a black leather biker jacket. She has short hair and a neutral expression on her face.Mindy Meleyal
After divorcing her husband and coming out as lesbian, Mindy co-founded a lesbian commune in Hull before moving to Manchester
On one occasion, while Mindy was in hospital after a stroke, a nurse referred to Linda as Mindy's husband. She said it was not only "insulting", but made her consider what sort of training the staff might have had.
The Spotlight on Ageing report says these sort of experiences can also have an impact on the support people receive.
Sarah Wilkinson, research and analysis manager at the Centre for Ageing Better, says after a "lifetime of homophobia and transphobia", older LGBTQ+ people now face the "additional, and overlapping, challenge of ageism".
The report says older LGBTQ+ people are less likely to have children - someone born in 1950 would have been in their 50s by the time same-sex couples could legally adopt - and that they are more likely to be estranged from their families when compared to their heterosexual counterparts."
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