As we reflect upon PRIDE month, we at SRS Care want to underline the importance of providing care and support to everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, or background.
We all want similar things as we grow older; to stay in our own homes for as long as possible and to be treated with respect and dignity when we access health and care services. Bearing this in mind is important to us and is at the forefront of all that we do.
Our values include compassion, respect and inclusivity; we want to grow relationships based on trust and provide a service where each service user can feel safe, valued, and able to live independently.
The Care Inspectorate and Stonewall.org.uk have provided vital, practical advice regarding how care and support services can meet the needs of older lesbian, gay and bisexual people which we’d like to share:
Care and support workers play an important part in the lives of older people who need extra support. However, many older gay people worry that paid care and support workers and personal assistants will not be able to understand and meet their needs.
Some feel they must hide anything that might reveal that they are gay, such as photographs of their partner, because they are unsure of who is coming into their home.
Older gay people may also be anxious about coming out and the response they will receive from a care and support worker or personal assistant.
All care and support workers should recognise that by going into an older person’s home they are expected to respect them and treat them with dignity. Treating older gay people as individuals and recognising the challenges they may have faced in their lives is important to help build trust and an ongoing relationship.
As a care and support worker, you can do many simple things to help make older gay people feel more comfortable in their homes. When talking to people you care for don’t assume they are heterosexual. Ask them open questions about their life such as ‘which people are important in your life?’ and talk about gay people or issues in a non-judgemental manner.
TIPS FOR CARE AND SUPPORT WORKERS
- Don’t assume that people you care for are heterosexual.
- Ask people open questions about their life and who is important to them.
- In everyday conversation talk about gay people or issues in a non-judgemental way.
- Don’t force people to talk about their sexual orientation if they don’t want to.
- Ask older gay people you care for how you can help, for example, by putting them in touch with a local gay group.
Sometimes changes to policy, staff training and awareness about the law can make things better. But often it is about simple things such as awareness and communication – individual actions will have a big impact.
More information on this topic can be viewed on the stonewall website.