Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

This paper discuss findings of the AgedLGBT* project, which compares and synthesizes data from three research projects conducted in Germany and the UK concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans* (LGBT) people, housing, and care, later in life. This paper focuses on two main questions from the project that have been examined so far. Firstly, in what ways, if at all, do older LGBT people’s life course experiences, such as their experiences of discrimination, prejudice, and/or resilience, appear in their choices and expectations regarding housing and long-term care facilities later in life? Secondly, how reliable are social networks of older LGBT* people, who are more likely to be childless, single, and to live alone than their heterosexual peers, in terms of social support and personal care in old age? The specific projects used to answer these questions are GLESA, which examined the needs and expectations of a LGBT* housing project in Berlin, Germany, based on interviews with experts and older LGBT* tenants, GLEPA, which investigated the needs of older LGBT* people in long-term care facilities, using narrative interviews with older LGBT* people in need of care and interviews and focus groups with experts in the field, and SAFE, which used a mixed methods design of focus groups and a survey to produce the largest study of older LGBT* housing experiences, preferences, and concerns in the UK.