UnitingCare set to lead on LGBTI ageing
In what is described as a first for the aged care industry, UnitingCare Ageing has taken the step of appointing an LGBTI project officer to liaise with community and health organisations to help gain a better understanding of the challenges facing older LGBTI people.
The announcement by the largest aged care provider in NSW and the ACT comes only a month after the Federal Government said it would include LGBTI people as a ‘special needs group’ under the Aged Care Act in an attempt to improve the support LGBTI seniors receive as well as provide for increased staff training on matters of sexuality, gender identity and diversity.
There are approximately 250,000 people across Australia and more than 70,000 people in NSW over the age of 55 who identify as LGBTI.
According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Kinsey Institute, the number of older LGBTI Australians – who account for up to eight per cent of older adults aged 65 years and over – is expected to rise in line with national trends to approximately 500,000 people by the year 2051.
UnitingCare Ageing director, Steve Teulan, said the appointment of Kellie Shields (pictured) as the organisation’s LGBTI project officer reflected a willingness to promote real change in the sector.
“We listen to the needs of individuals and communities. We know that you can’t impose a service on a community. Nor can you expect any service to be one-size-fits-all,” he said.
“We already have a proud and active presence in social justice matters, I can only hope this effort is successful in furthering that work.”
Discussing her appointment, Shields said there was an increasing awareness amongst the aged care sector relating to the ageing people in the LGBTI communities.
“UnitingCare Ageing recognises that there is an unmet need for services and partnerships that support the LGBTI community’s aspirations for care,” she said.
“A preliminary review of information indicated that there may be reluctance to access health and aged services, especially from faith based organisations, usually as a result of both real and perceived discrimination.”
LGBTI ageing issues have come under wider focus of late following last year’s groundbreaking Caring For Older Australians report from the Productivity Commission which for the first time included specific reference to the challenges facing LGBTI seniors as they weigh up options for in-home or residential nursing home care.
Earlier this year, the executive director of UnitingCare NSW, Reverend Harry Herbert, signalled his intentions to do more to promote inclusiveness and diversity when he publicly gave his support to marriage equality.
“UnitingCare realises it’s not just about speaking out on inclusiveness, but then backing that up with money, time and resources,” Herbert said.
“I look forward to hearing what Ms Shields reports back to our organisation and to meet with stakeholders in the community myself.”
- Tags: ACT, Aged Care, Aged Care Act, Community, Discrimination, Harry Herbert, Health, Kellie Shields, LGBTI, MCV, NSW, Productivity Commission, Steve Teulan, SX, UnitingCare NSW
Comments (10)
This initiative by Uniting Care is greatly welcome. It demonstrates that service providers in the aged care sector that operate from a faith-based perspective can reach out to LGBTI elders and those who care for them, as well as to LGBTI community organisations, to ensure that their approach is culturally appropriate. I commend the organisation for taking this important step towards understanding and meeting the needs of our elders. The fear of discrimination, particularly from religious organisations in aged care, continues to be significant for older LGBTI people, particularly in relation to the often frightening prospect of residential care. This project will help to begin to eradicate such fears and convey to our commmunity a genuine desire to provide non-discriminatory aged care that celebrates diversity.
In South Australia, Uniting Care Wesley Adelaide have been funded to provide home based aged care packages to LGBTI people. Initiatives such as these demonstrate that, as many faith-based providers themselves have indicated, they do not wish to discriminate or even potentially be given an option to discriminate, but rather they seek to recognise and include LGBTI people. Given this, it is vital that any Federal Anti-Discrimination legislation not include exemptions for religious organisations in aged care. To do that would run contrary to the impressive intent of initiatives being taken by faith-based organisations, which are valued and need to be emulated by other organisations.
Botha met Mahatma Gandhi. It was he Gandhi rose up against, so he wasn't so tough afterall!
Dave, you write well, as always. I have an ancestor who was a great literatist. He was also a doctor and personal physician to Joseph Pulitzer.
Dear Stuart- I am sure Joseph Pulitzer was a far greater man then I could be, and maybe you are also. What is important is you know you have greatness running through your veins on those darkest days, should an obscure magistrate judge skin to be illegal. Also I am no doctor, that is my husband’s job.
Dave, maybe help will come from high up. He was also personal physician to Louis Botha, South Africa's first Prime Minister. You know who Botha met?
Who did Botha meet? Just looked the tough bugger up on Wikipedia!
Uniting Care Ageing has once again parted the sea of hate, the senate enquiries glimpsed at some religious based Aged Care services. I hoped that in my lifetime, we would be included in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act- not to be forced to defrock by any aged care provider. In some parts of Australia, religious nursing homes are the only providers, leaving some to Google a peaceful suicide. The goodness of staff is wonderful, but not all churches have goodness to begin with.
forgot to add that St Louis Care is in S.A.
another service is St Louis Community Care which now offers care for LGBTI older adults in the southern areas of Mitcham, Marion,Holdfast Bay and Onkaparinga ...
I spoke with kelly this week and was encouraged by the intended inclusive and positive consideration of LGBTI in Uniting Aged Care.
Kelly's understanding was considerable and her strong desire to furthher educate herself and UAC around specific needs was most welcome.
OII Australia looks forward to close colaboration with UAC and the needs of aging Intersex.