PGN SUPPLEMENT PGN LGBTQ SENIOR
Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 2-8, 2014
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Celebrating our LGBTQ elders in Older Americans Month May is Older Americans Month. In recognition and celebration of the contributions that LGBT older adults make, and have made, to our communities, PGN has assembled this special section on aging. The opening of the John C. Anderson LGBT senior-friendly apartments earlier this year
put a national spotlight on the unique needs and issues facing members of the LGBT communities as we age. In surveys, more than 80 percent of LGBT older adults express fear of discrimination in long-term care facilities. An even higher percentage of all older adults express a preference for remaining in their
own homes and neighborhoods as they age. This special section on aging discusses the issues, resources and services that are available to LGBT older adults so that they can safely and successfully “age in place.” Special thanks to the LGBT Elder Initiative for help in compiling this information.
LGBT- and age-friendly Philadelphia By Ed Bomba
VOLUNTEERS FROM OUT AT COMCAST PLANTED FLOWERS, PAINTED AND INSTALLED COMPUTERS AT THE JOHN C. ANDERSON LGBT-FRIENDLY SENIOR APARTMENTS APRIL 26 AS PART OF COMCAST CARES DAY
Not the same, old Village People By Kristin Davidson We are not talking about a group of guys in drag singing about the Y or the Navy. Now, when we talk about village people, we are talking about neighbors, in communities around the country, helping each other age in place. The Village-toVillage Movement is a network of community-based organizations that provide services that are not typically supplied by providers in the aging-services network, such as area agencies on aging, senior centers and advocacy groups. Nationally, there are 120 villages in operation and 100 in development. More than 20,000 people belong to villages. Most are supported by volunteers who deliver a variety of services and programs. Each village has a unique personality in that each sets its own goals and services based on its community’s needs and preferences. All of the villages are established to help people remain independent and age successfully in their own homes. There are “villages” operating in southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. In Philadelphia, there are villages in East Falls, Mount Airy and Penn’s Village in Center City. The Penn’s Village service area extends from river to river and from Washington Avenue to Spring Garden Street. More than 17,000 people over 65 live in that geographic area. Forty-seven percent are
over 75. PV’s mission is to provide social connection and to support people to maintain their independence as they age or become temporarily disabled. PV supports Center City residents so that they can stay in their own homes and in the neighborhoods with which they are familiar. In recent surveys, more than 80 percent of older adults express a preference for staying in their own homes as they age. In villages, volunteers deliver services that include transportation to medical appointments, shopping, running errands and helping with jobs around the house. They can provide companionship or make referrals to vetted resources such as electricians, roofers, plumbers and home health-care services. PV also hosts education and social programs for its members. “We fill a gap for services where larger and more structured agencies don’t fulfill all of the needs of older adults,” said Jane Eleey, executive director of Penn’s Village. “We want to be a central place for people to get these additional services.” PV is not limited to one role or a single service. Some people need support or assistance on a regular basis. The Village’s telephone support group for caregivers is one example. Other villagers have an occasional need, such as someone to water plants when they are away. The service offerings continue to expand based on comPAGE 32
Philadelphia is an LGBT-friendly city. The Human Rights Campaign gave the city a perfect score on its 2013 Municipal Equality Index, which examines the laws, policies and services available in 291 U.S. cities. Philadelphia earned top scores in every category. Philadelphia is also working to assure that it is an age-friendly city. The World Health Organization has developed a Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities. According to WHO, “What all members of the Network do have in common is the desire and commitment to create physical and social urban environments that promote healthy and active aging and a good quality of life for their older residents.” In the United States, this effort is coordinated by AARP. New York City was the first city in the country to receive the designation. In Philadelphia, the city and state governments, civic and community organizations, colleges and universities and citizens of all ages are working to make the city “age-friendly.” Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, our local area agency on aging, is involved in this community-wide effort. According to PCA, “The basic elements of an agefriendly city are accessible housing; ease of public transportation; readily available fresh foods; safe and inviting public spaces; and a vibrant workforce that is aware of issues facing older adults.” Other factors contributing to an age-friendly city are community support and health care, civic engagement, social participation and communication. In Philadelphia, assuring that older adults are not “gentrified-out” of their homes because of increases in property taxes is one step in this effort. Creating awareness in the business community about the value of hiring older workers is another. Improving physical accessibility to SEPTA, fixing cracked sidewalks and keeping neighborhood parks clean and safe are just a few more. Philadelphia’s deputy managing director for aging Lydia Hernandez Velez said that the administration has been focusing on this effort for many years.
“There are really two groups that are growing in population in Philadelphia. One is the 25-35-year-old segment, but there is also growth in the over-50 population,” Hernandez Velez said. In their efforts to address the needs of the growing population of older adults, she and her colleagues on the Mayor’s Commission on Aging and in departments throughout city government are trying to answer the question, “How do you promote a city in which people can live and be safe and have a quality of life that they deserve?” It is a large and complicated issue. Said Hernandez Velez, “Age-friendliness is not just about age; it’s about access and the ways that people think about a community and all of its different aspects.” In that mix of issues is the need to address the needs of at-risk populations. She points to people with limited English proficiency as just one example, asking “How do they connect with the services that do exist?” Hernandez Velez also addressed issues of importance to LGBT older adults as another example of the scope and complexity of creating an age-friendly environment. She voiced concerns many LGBT older adults express: “As an LGBT senior, can you go to a facility and remain out? Will you be respected for who you are?” “At some point you are going to need care, so how do you connect with services that are not going to diminish your assertion of who you are as a person? That is the challenge for everybody.” Achieving an age-friendly Philadelphia involves commitment, collaboration and cooperation across a broad spectrum of interested parties. Hernandez Velez cited her collaboration with PCA as an example. “We talk to each other constantly about challenges and issues,” she said. “They [PCA] have a fantastic research unit that has been a great partner to me in thinking through the issues.” One of the goals of Philadelphia’s agefriendly initiative is to create an environment in which “people own their own sense of who they are so that they can make choices in a very positive way,” Hernandez Velez said. It took many years and the efforts of many community members, organizations and government officials to earn the designation as an LGBT-friendly city. The work is well underway to earn PAGE 32