Aging in the LGBTQ2S+ Community
With the advancements in medication and treatment people diagnosed with HIV are able to live longer. The SHARP Foundation is currently witnessing an increased number of referrals from long-time survivors who are now impacted with aging and also identify in the LGBTQ2S+ Community.
Unfortunately, in Canada there is a lack of seniors’ facilities which provide non-judgmental, compassionate care to individuals aging with HIV or in the LGBTQ2S+ Community. This results in fear of discrimination, possibly going back into the closet, and decreased quality of life.
The SHARP Foundation is partnering with Mount Royal University, Habitus Consulting Collective, Rainbow Elders Calgary, Centre for Sexuality, and The Alberta CBR Collaborative to create a program of reach to investigate and develop solutions to ensure respectful and inclusive care for LGBTQ2S+ Seniors as well as individuals aging with HIV.
Currently SHARP is leading the following initiatives:
The Calgary LGBT Seniors Housing and Support Needs Assessment:
“Capturing the Trauma”:
An Online Roadmap to Inclusive Communities:
LGBTQ2S+ Seniors Community Consultation:
Unfortunately, in Canada there is a lack of seniors’ facilities which provide non-judgmental, compassionate care to individuals aging with HIV or in the LGBTQ2S+ Community. This results in fear of discrimination, possibly going back into the closet, and decreased quality of life.
The SHARP Foundation is partnering with Mount Royal University, Habitus Consulting Collective, Rainbow Elders Calgary, Centre for Sexuality, and The Alberta CBR Collaborative to create a program of reach to investigate and develop solutions to ensure respectful and inclusive care for LGBTQ2S+ Seniors as well as individuals aging with HIV.
Currently SHARP is leading the following initiatives:
The Calgary LGBT Seniors Housing and Support Needs Assessment:
- The outcomes of this study include recommendations for programming the seniors’ service sector can develop and implement, as well as training peer researchers for additional studies in Calgary and Alberta.
- Learn more about the final LGBT+ seniors housing assessment:
“Capturing the Trauma”:
- This is a digital story-telling project to identify and document the experiences of Calgarians who were impacted by the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and early 1990s.
An Online Roadmap to Inclusive Communities:
- This is a 3-year project to build a web-based interface to inform and train individuals and organizations on ways to create best practices in building friendly, safe, and inclusive communities for LGBTQ2S+ seniors.
- SHARP will utilize the expertise of the Calgary LGBT2S+ seniors housing and support study advisory committee, community partners and peer researchers to formulate ideas on best or wise practices to address healthy aging in the community.
LGBTQ2S+ Seniors Community Consultation:
- The SHARP Foundation has partnered with Dr. Jacqueline Gahagan, Dalhousie University, on the national “meeting the housing needs of older LGBTQ2S+ Canadians: from research to policy and practice” and hosted a regional community consultation in Calgary in the Fall of 2019.
- To learn more about key outcomes from the LGBTQ2S+ seniors’ study please click the following link.