For many older LGBTI people, living their authentic lives was a hard-won battle fought over decades. Yet, when it comes to accessing aged care services, the fear of being forced back into the closet feels all too real.
In response, one group formed to take action. For nearly two decades, GLBTI Rights in Ageing Inc (GRAI) has been a tireless advocate for LGBTI people accessing aged care.
GRAI, which operates out of Southcare in Manning, gained significant recognition in 2010 when they worked with Curtin University to research attitudes towards LGBTI people within the residential aged care sector.
The resulting report, revealed the lack of representation and support in this space.
GRAI Executive Officer Kedy Kristal says 40 aged care providers in Perth were surveyed and asked a range of questions, including how many older LGBTI people they had at their facility and how much inclusivity training staff had received.
“The response from 80 per cent of the providers at that time was, ‘We don't have those people’, but the truth was, they weren't asking, they didn't want to know,” she recalls.
GRAI has been funded since 2014 to deliver an ongoing training program to ensure new aged care staff were taught how to be inclusive and respectful towards older LGBTI people.
Kedy says the focus is on educating frontline and office staff about being respectful of the needs of the LGBTI community, particularly the health needs of older transpeople and people living with HIV.
The 200-member advocacy group has also run the Village Hub program for the past three
years to link isolated older people with peer volunteers.
“Through that, we discovered a whole range of very isolated, lonely older LGBTI people out there in the community that really were disconnected from us, our community and from support,” she says.
“That really impacts on your health. Social isolation, they say, equates to smoking 15
cigarettes a day.
After the Village Hub, we had numerous people saying things like, ‘I was really depressed and linking up with GRAI has made a huge difference in my life’.”
GRAI has also set up peer support networks and hosts regular social events.
“I've been out as a lesbian since 1982, so I had already been active in the community for a long time,” she says.
Kedy recalls the challenges she faced when she came out more than 40 years ago, highlighting just how far we’ve come today.
“There were repercussions for me personally in terms of losing a job. I was going through family court – as I had been married and had children – so my coming out as a lesbian impacted on things that were happening in the family court,” she reveals.
Now, as Kedy leads efforts to progress inclusivity in the aged care sector, she says she finds joy in working alongside peers to give back to her older LGBTI community.
“I think that GRAI is a way to amplify our voices. The voices and needs of younger people come through strongly – and that needs to happen – but our voices, even in our own community, are often forgotten.”
The City of South Perth is committed to being proactive about access and inclusion. Read more about the City’s Access and Inclusion Plan on our website.
