More long-term care communities are committing to adopting and expanding inclusion policies for residents and staff, according to the results from the 2023 Long Term Care Equality Index (LEI).
The report was released by SAGE (New York), an organization focused on improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) elders, and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of Human Rights Campaign (HRC; Washington, D.C.), one of the nation’s largest LBGTQ+ civil rights organizations.
“One of the biggest concerns facing older LGBTQ+ people is their future – especially when finding welcoming and inclusive places to live and receive care in their later years,” SAGE CEO Michael Adams said in a press release.
Equality Index Findings
Open to skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, continuing care retirement, memory care, freestanding hospice, and affordable senior housing communities, the LEI serves as a national benchmarking tool for LGBTQ+ inclusion in senior housing and long-term care communities.
Participating communities can achieve one of three Tiers of Recognition based on their efforts to implement best practices set by the LEI 2023 Criteria. This includes non-discrimination and staff training; resident services and support; employee benefits and policies; and resident and community engagement.
Two hundred long-term care communities across 34 states participated in the 2023 LEI; 90 percent of participants documented that they include both “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in their employment non-discrimination policy.
Additionally, 84 percent of LEI participants met the staff training requirement by having 80 percent or more of key executives complete training offered by SAGE.
Finding room for improvement, the report found only 5 percent of participating communities reported having an abuse and neglect policy that explicitly protects LGBTQ+ residents. Additionally, only 7 percent have a policy or policies that specifically outline procedures and practices aimed at eliminating bias and insensitivity and ensuring appropriate, welcoming interactions with transgender residents.
“With anti-LGBTQ+ extremism on the rise, it is more important than ever to create safer spaces for LGBTQ+ people, and that includes the places we age,” Kelley Robinson, president of HRC, said in the release. “It’s powerful to see 200 communities come together with HRC and SAGE to deliver on values of inclusion and equity.”
