LGBT+ concerns of ageing and accessing aged care services in Australia: A cross‐sectional study

Objective People older than 65 years are anticipated to comprise a steadily increasing proportion of the Australian population. This older adult population is also made up of other sub‐populations that may experience similar, different or additional needs to the ‘average’ older adult, such as LGBT+ people. Given the well‐documented history of oppression, stigma and discrimination, research is critically needed to understand how to best support the concerns and needs of populations such as LGBT+ people. Method The present cross‐sectional study aimed to explore the concerns of ageing and accessing aged care services among 171 LGBT+ people in Australia. Results The results revealed that LGBT+ people were most concerned about their health and physical functioning, including feelings of isolation, loneliness and abandonment as they age. The results also indicated a range of specific concerns for accessing aged care services, including feeling respected and service quality and discrimination, particularly from religiously run organisations. Conclusions Despite a relatively small and homogenous sample, this study was able to identify important beliefs and experiences held by this cohort to help shape advocacy, policy, procedures and education.