Evergreen steps up for LGBTI aged care

NSW-based mainstream aged care provider Evergreen Life Care has become the latest group in the industry to appoint a project officer to liaise with the LGBTI community so it may better understand the health and wellbeing needs of older LGBTI people.

Sociologist Sujay Kentlyn was last week announced as the LGBTI Elders’ Wellbeing Project Officer for Evergreen. Kentlyn has previously taught and conducted research at the University of Queensland and was until recently the Health Policy Officer for the National LGBTI Health Alliance.

To coincide with the appointment, Evergreen will also conduct a project starting in June or July that will aim to improve the skills and awareness of aged care providers when it comes to caring for LGBTI elders.

“Evergreen Life Care has received funding from the Department of Health and Ageing for an exciting new project to promote the health and wellbeing of LGBTI older Australians,” Kentlyn said.

“The project involves the delivery of health and wellness capacity building programs to LGBTI people across five geographical regions of NSW: Far North Coast, Central Coast, Hunter, Inner West, and Blue Mountains regions.”

Evergreen is an umbrella body that encompasses the Central Coast’s Yallambee Village, Yallambee Lodge and Coast Home Help, as well as the mid north coast’s Tea Gardens Manor.

The appointment by Evergreen follows in the footsteps of UnitingCare Ageing, the single largest provider of aged care services in NSW and the ACT, which appointed Kellie Shields to a similar position last May, a month after the Federal Government said it would include LGBTI people as a ‘special needs group’ under the Aged Care Act.

Aged care provider Care Connect recently also installed Healthy Communities executive director Paul Martin to a LGBTI project officer role.