The Struggles And Needs Elderly Lgbt Individuals Face And...

Introduction Elderly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LBGT) individuals face many issues that others do not. Not only do they face discrimination due to their sexuality, but also due to their age and/or gender. The intersectionality of sexuality, age, and/or gender can cause many physical, mental, and emotional health issues which require social work intervention. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the struggles and needs elderly LGBT individuals face and its effect on their aging process. This can be achieved by applying theoretical frameworks such as Erickson’s Stages of Development, Intersectionality, and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to the issue being presented. Elderly LGBT As of 2013, over an estimated two million elderly adults identify as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). LGBT elderly individuals have most likely experienced discrimination from different structures throughout their life. Before 1973, homosexuality was considered â€Å"a mental disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association† (DSM) (Jablonski, Vance, and Beattie, 2013, p. 1-2). Being that it was considered a mental disorder, many LGBT individuals during the time may not have revealed their sexuality in fear of stigma, discrimination, and attacks. Elderly LGBT individuals over the age of 50 would have been the generations who lived during the time homosexuality was considered a mental disorder. This means thatShow MoreRelatedAssignment 11368 Words   |  6 PagesANALYSIS 4 addition, the policy indirectly supports the families of the elderly. It does so by offering services to caregivers that prevent or shorten costly nursing home placements, relieving financial strain, and providing educational programs to give a better understanding of aging. However, due to insufficient funding OAA services have restricted access and cannot reach all the elderly in need. Statistical demographics reveal that 27% of seniors that are receiving services are below