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Purpose: This chapter explores the role of life course transitions, personal networks, community, and social support in the physical and mental health of LGBTQ+ elders. Specifically, we review the literature on formal and informal supports and resources available to LGBTQ+ elders as they age.

Methodology: We use an intersectional lens that explores dimensions of social identity and social location among diverse subpopulations within sexual and gender minority (SGM) elders. We outline the implications of access (or lack of access) to formal and informal care for SGM elders' physical and mental health and well-being in late life. We examine the availability of these supports in the context of broad inequalities and life events that structure the life course for LGBTQ+ elders and have long-term health implications.

Findings: Our findings from this review demonstrate how social factors over the life course shape SGM mental and physical health later in life for aging LGBTQ+ populations. We reflect on how strained relationships and lack of acceptance compel some to seek alternative sources of support and relationships. Our analysis uncovers individual and institutional sources of support: personal social networks and formal spaces, such as healthcare settings, that connect elders with resources to develop social support and avoid social isolation.

Implications: The implications of our review reveal the unique needs and barriers to practical and social support that SGM older adults face. We explore alternative supports that LGBTQ+ elders need compared with their heterosexual cisgender peers, given the disproportionate rejection they face in a range of public and intimate spaces. We conclude by identifying and celebrating sources of support and resilience as LGBTQ+ elders have crafted alternate support networks and advocated for increased recognition, rights, and care.

Originality and Value: Despite some recent flourishing of research in SGM health, a road map for scholars, practitioners, and community members outlining future research in understudied areas such as LGBTQ+ aging and transgender health would help advance scholarship and policy. Our commentary highlights quantitative and qualitative studies and suggests avenues for research that put in conversation literatures on rural studies, urban sociology, and social networks; gerontology; health; and gender/sexuality studies.

The purpose of this paper is to compare the supportive capacity of social networks of older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) and heterosexual adults using data from Understanding Society. The principal research objective is to discern whether the companionship and community networks of older LGBT adults compensate for weaker kinship networks.

Understanding Society has data on the frequency of interaction with and proximity to family, friends and the wider community to quantify supportive capacity. Bivariate analyses reveal similarities and differences in network supportive capacity between older LGBT and heterosexual adults.

The study finds that older LGBT adults have significantly weaker kinship networks than do older heterosexual adults. Further to this, the companionship and community networks of older LGBT adults do not compensate for weaker kinship networks.

In essence, this means that many older LGBT adults have weak social networks which increases the likelihood of receiving little or no social contact and informal support which may have implications for their physical and mental well-being. This could be especially problematic for individuals who have care needs where in the context of England, the provision of state funded social care is patchy.

This study contributes evidence to an under researched area of social network analysis. Little research has explored the social networks of older LGBT adults compared with older heterosexual adults; specifically the supportive network capacity of different types of network.

The purpose of this paper is to formulate recommendations from international and local examples to aid the design and delivery affirmative housing and care options for older LGBT individuals in England.

This paper combines a desk-top review conducted by the author with personal views and recommendations for practice by discussing the levers within both the Care Act and Equality Act for greater LGBT participation in the design, delivery and evaluation of housing with care services.

The provision of LGBT affirmative housing and care options for individuals in England is currently limited. International and European evidence suggests that multi-faceted, person-centred approaches are central in delivering affirmative services to older LGBT individuals.

This paper adds to a growing literature on minority housing and care services. The author draws on both a professional and personal interest in facilitating the development of LGBT affirmative services in England.

The planning and provision of care for older people in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) communities is an increasing challenge to traditional welfare systems. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of the newly implemented Care Act 2014 in England for developing an anti-discriminatory approach.

The review draws on existing research and conceptual literature to identify how key provisions of the new act can be interpreted in light of current knowledge.

Overall the provisions of the Care Act lend themselves well to positive interpretation in relation to the needs of older LGBT people and their support networks. A potential tension, however, arises in the locality focus of the legislation that could constrain good practice with geographically dispersed communities. There is also a need to challenge both heteronormative and ageist assumptions that lead to older LGBT people remaining unrecognised.

Applied with imagination and commitment, the provisions of the new act could enable new forms of person-centred care to emerge to support older LGBT people.

Social workers are in a key position to influence how the Care Act is interpreted and applied in practice and can act as change agents for a societal move towards older LGBT people having greater choice and control over their well-being.

This review presents examples of how the provisions of the legislation can be utilised to support positive change for older LGBT people.

Lack of understanding of the needs of older LGBT individuals is a global issue and their needs are often ignored by health and social care providers who adopt sexuality-blind approaches within their provision. As a result, public services can find it difficult to push the LGBT equalities agenda forward due to resistance to change and underlying discrimination. The aim of this paper is to discuss these issues.

This report considers how a body of participatory research concerning the needs and experiences of older LGBT people was used to create innovatory dissemination tools, which then engaged communities through public engagement to learn about the needs and experiences of older LGBT citizens. Good research has a “long tail” – (in statistics, “a large number of occurrences far from the ‘head’ or central part of the distribution”). The report considers how a film and a method deck of cards, presented to service providers in several workshops over time, offered opportunities to learn and critically reflect upon an informed practice.

Because of the on-going feedback from our workshops, the authors, in turn, learned the importance of having a champion within a community organisation to take forward the LGBT agenda. A report of one such outreach champion is included here.

Consideration is given to challenges involved in creating impact through research, and how participatory community processes may enhance impact to develop over time.

The purpose of this paper is to show that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elders suffer from particular discrimination when compared to that suffered by elders in general and heterosexual elders in particular, and to argue for specific consideration for those who suffer from discrimination based upon a combination of their age and sexual orientation or gender identity.

The paper is the result of a desk study of US and UK material plus some interviews in the USA with LGBT organisations.

It is found that LGBT elders do suffer from particular discrimination when compared to that suffered by elders in general and heterosexual elders in particular.

This research needs to be placed in a wider context of dealing with discrimination on intersectional grounds and is an example of how such an approach is needed.

This paper is a contribution to the debate around the newly published Equality Bill in the UK.

The paper contains no new empirical data, but existing material is brought together and is subject to analysis.

This paper is a conceptual discussion of the ways in which the diverse lives, identities and collective politics of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people can be made visible, and how they are made visible, in long-term care environments for older people. The purpose of this paper is to problematise strategies of visibility as methods for promoting social inclusion in care environments.

This is a conceptual discussion that draws on several social theorists that have previously discussed the politics of visibility, knowledge and sexuality.

Promoting increased visibility in itself does not fully grapple with the ways in which older LGB can be represented and known as particular kinds of sexual citizens. This potentially curtails a more holistic recognition of their needs, interests and wishes, inclusive of their sexual lives and histories. Making LGB lives visible in care environments may not always be a productive or affirmative strategy for dismantling homophobic views and beliefs.

The theoretical implications of a politics of visibility warrant a deeper consideration of strategies for promoting visibility. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the practical implications for rethinking strategies of visibility in care environments.

Critical discussions about the application of visibility strategies, and the problematic assumptions contained within such strategies, are lacking in relation to mainstream housing and social care provision for older LGB people. This paper seeks to initiate this important discussion.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of belonging to a same-sexuality social group or network for older lesbians and bisexual women.

In total, 35 women were interviewed about a range of topics including coming out (or not) in the 1950s and 1960s, their feelings about ageing and their experiences of attending groups for lesbians and bisexual women, now and in the past.

The study found that, while the participants had different opinions of groups and their significance, the majority valued the opportunity to meet with other “like-minded” women and enjoyed a range of positive outcomes.

The nature of the space where such groups are located was significant to many as was the employment of paid leaders, not only to take up the administrative burden but to moderate and prevent cliques from forming.

The research indicates that such groups have an important role to play in alleviating loneliness and promoting positive ageing.

This research makes an important contribution to the literature about lesbian, gay and bisexual ageing which is frequently focused on gay men. Their feelings about loneliness, the role of social space and groups are often different to those of lesbian and bisexual women such as my participants, particularly those who were at the cutting edge of second-wave feminism.

This paper considers the challenges and solutions in relation to older lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGB&T) housing in the UK. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key housing issues and concerns affecting older LGB&T people in the UK, and ways in which these might be addressed.

This is a practical discussion which focusses on the issues of policies and provision in relation to older LGB&T housing in the UK, both specialist and mainstream housing.

There is a growing body of literature from both the voluntary sector and academic researchers highlighting the housing issues affecting older LGB&T people. There is a need for both specialist and appropriate mainstream housing provision. However, policy and funding issues constrain the creation and/or development of such provision.

Policy makers and housing providers in the UK need to address, and meet, the diverse housing needs of older LGB&T people.

Until their housing needs are met, many older LGB&T people remain concerned about their housing futures, and may end up living in housing which is not their preference and which is not suitable for them.

This paper is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of the work of Stonewall Housing’s network for older LGB&T people, and the challenges and solutions which have been identified in relation to their housing issues and concerns.

The purpose of this paper is to start a debate about older people who are in groups that are not readily visible to policy makers and practitioners.

The paper is based on information obtained from academic literature, government statistics and other publications from relevant organisations. The authors investigated one “invisible” group each and comparisons and conclusions were then made collaboratively.

Many groups of older people seem to be absent from statistics and from policy making. The paper suggests that there needs to be more research to identify the scale of any problems and how they may be solved.

This is not a systematic review but a preliminary account of the problem.

There are practical implications for health and social care professionals if they do not recognise that there are groups in society about whom little is known. Lack of knowledge and empathy may affect their approach to these groups.

There are implications for society if these groups are not taken into account in decision making and especially over the allocation of resources.

There is little written which brings together the lack of attention paid to these groups as a whole.