LGBTQ+ Spotlights: Preparing for the future isn’t something that happens overnight

LGBTQ+ Spotlights: Preparing for the future isn’t something that happens overnight

Amanda Weir, Director of Operations, MHA

The face of later life is changing. Today, there are more than four times as many people aged 45 to 64 who identify as LGBTQ+ as there are people aged 65 and over. Over the coming decades, thousands more LGBTQ+ people will enter later life and begin accessing care, housing and community services.

For organisations like MHA, the question isn’t whether this change is coming. It’s whether we’re ready for it.

Creating an LGBTQ+ friendly care service

The older people of today grew up during a time where homosexuality was criminalised, and discrimination was commonplace. Many of those who identify as LGBTQ+ may have hidden their sexual orientation for most, if not all, of their lives. Some who openly identify as LGBTQ+ may avoid seeking care services for fear of having to “go back into the closet” because of discrimination from other residents or even staff.

At MHA, we have put promoting equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our strategy. Over the past six years, we’ve worked to promote equality for LGBTQ+ people across our care homes, retirement living schemes, MHA Communities services and the wider communities where we operate. This includes:

• attending Pride events to listen, learn and raise awareness of MHA
• developing LGBTQ+ resources for colleagues
• supporting the Pride in MHA staff network
• recruiting LGBTQ+ chaplains so residents can access pastoral care from people with lived experience where appropriate
• ensuring homes and services are welcoming to everyone

We will continue building on this work by supporting these initiatives while strengthening our internal systems and processes. This will enable us to begin having sensitive, voluntary conversations with residents and members about their sexual orientation, where they choose to share it, so we can better understand the people we support and provide more personalised, person-centred care.

Collecting this information is not about labels. It is about ensuring that no one becomes invisible in later life. By understanding more about the people who use our services, we can create environments where everyone feels recognised, respected and able to be themselves.

Better support for our communities

For too long, LGBTQ+ older people have often been statistically invisible. If we don’t know who we’re supporting, it’s much harder to understand whether we’re meeting their needs. By collecting residents’ and members’ data, we can provide better services, activities and chaplaincy. We can also use this information to improve staff training and provide stronger evidence for commissioners, helping improve care for LGBTQ+ older people across the sector.

Creating environments where people can be themselves benefits everyone. Good person-centred care starts by understanding the individual, their history, relationships, identity and what matters most to them.

Preparing for the future isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes listening, learning and sometimes challenging ourselves to think differently.

At MHA, we’re proud of the progress we’ve made, but we know there is more to do. As a new generation enters later life, we’ll continue working to ensure every person can grow older knowing they will be welcomed, respected and supported for exactly who they are.

“MHA is an organisation where my LGBTQ+ identity isn’t just tolerated, it is celebrated, which makes me feel not only welcomed but safe to be me, and hopefully this spills out into the care we provide to others.” Nat Gibbons, Chaplain and Pride in MHA Network Chair

“MHA is an organisation where… I truly feel we have the opportunity to be ourselves, which goes a long way”. Former MHA Colleague

“Based on what’s currently happening in the world, this is a time more than ever for us to keep on fighting the good fight.” Former MHA Colleague