Abstract This article examines how the needs and well-being of older LGBTQ adults have been constructed as a societal responsibility in the Swedish policy debate, focusing on political documents from 2000 to 2024. Using Nancy Fraser’s status model of recognition, 127 policy documents were analysed through narrative thematic analysis. While the overarching political narrative frames Sweden as moving from exclusion to inclusion, barriers to equal participation persist. The analysis shows general awareness of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of older LGBTQ adults, although political engagement and proposed solutions vary across parties. Recognition often remains symbolic, resulting in limited structural reform and few sustained policy initiatives. The study contributes to gerontological social work by examining how political discourse frames opportunities and constraints for marginalised older adults. It demonstrates how the persistent gap between inclusive rhetoric and material support limits efforts to deliver equitable, identity-affirming care. By clarifying political responses and gaps between recognition, policy, and inclusion, the findings highlight the need for social workers to advocate tailored support, enhance professional competence, and challenge structural barriers. The study calls for a dual role: providing individualized support while promoting systemic change, linking political discourse with practice to advance justice-oriented, LGBTQ-inclusive care.
Jenny Gillingsjö (Tue,) studied this question.