‘Scared of being pushed back into the closet’: Europe’s new LGBT+ retirement communities
By Estelle Nilsson-Julien
For many older LGBTQ+ the prospect of moving into a retirement home is a worrying thought. But in Sweden, Spain and France new retirement communities for LGBTQ+ seniors are proving a hit.
“Care home staff don’t realise that they have LGBTQ+ residents – but based on population estimates we know they do. It’s just that residents don’t feel comfortable or safe being identified as LGBTQ+”, explains Professor Paul Willis, an expert in social care.
Older members of the LGBTQ+ community can “be at higher risk of loneliness, they are more likely to be single and live alone. They are also less likely to have children”, he tells Euronews.
However, new LGBTQ+ senior communities – which aim to tackle this isolation and social exclusion – are cropping up across Europe.
Source Euronews
