PURPOSE: In Boston and Outer Cape, Massachusetts, we explored the expectations of lesbians 60 years and older regarding healthy aging and community importance. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted with participants after completing an anonymous demographic questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used to generate themes and identify how they varied by urban versus rural settings. RESULTS: Group discussions focused on community, finances, housing, and healthcare. Primary concerns included continued access to supportive and lesbian communities as a source of resilience during aging. CONCLUSION: Concerns about discrimination and isolation mirror themes found in national research. The study findings suggest a need for more research into the housing and transportation needs of lesbians approaching later life, with a focus on how those needs relate to affordability, accessibility, and proximity to social support and healthcare. These findings also suggest the need for substantial investments in strengthening the LGBT-related cultural competence of providers of services for the elderly.
PURPOSE: In Boston and Outer Cape, Massachusetts, we explored the expectations of lesbians 60 years and older regarding healthy aging and community importance. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted with participants after completing an anonymous demographic questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used to generate themes and identify how they varied by urban versus rural settings. RESULTS: Group discussions focused on community, finances, housing, and healthcare. Primary concerns included continued access to supportive and lesbian communities as a source of resilience during aging. CONCLUSION: Concerns about discrimination and isolation mirror themes found in national research. The study findings suggest a need for more research into the housing and transportation needs of lesbians approaching later life, with a focus on how those needs relate to affordability, accessibility, and proximity to social support and healthcare. These findings also suggest the need for substantial investments in strengthening the LGBT-related cultural competence of providers of services for the elderly.
Authors: Matthew Pantell; David Rehkopf; Douglas Jutte; S Leonard Syme; John Balmes; Nancy Adler Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2013-09-12 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Amy Rosenwohl-Mack; Darin Smith; Meredith Greene; Karyn Skultety; Madeline Deutsch; Leslie Dubbin; Jason D Flatt Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-02-01 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Sue LaVaccare; Allison L Diamant; Julie Friedman; Karen T Singh; Jessica A Baker; Tayler A Rodriguez; Susan R Cohen; Farina Y Dary; Janet Pregler Journal: Health Equity Date: 2018-07-01