Older Adults this Pride Month 2024

June is Pride Month across the globe, a time to celebrate the 2SLGBTQI+ community, which includes individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirit as well as a range of other gender and sexual identities.

This month, let's also remember to celebrate the 2SLGBTQI+ older adults and the contributions they have made help foster inclusivity and pave the way for change. This edition includes a few ways we can continue to show our support and improve the quality of lives of 2SLGBTQI+ older adults.?

Encouraging Inclusivity in Long-Term Care Homes

Approximately 1 million Canadians identify as 2SLGBTQI+. This number tells us that a percentage of the community also resides in long-term care homes. Throughout their lives, many 2SLGBTQI+ older adults in Canada have faced systemic discrimination and oppression based on their sexual and gender identities.

Creating an inclusive environment is crucial to improving quality of life and care. Additionally, the way we interact and speak to one another contributes to the environment we build. The Embracing Diversity Toolkit , led by Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care at Bruyère Health , outlines tips to nurture diverse communities in long-term care homes through a variety of ways that provide person-centred care.?

2SLGBTQI+ People Living With Dementia

As of 2024, it is estimated that 733,040 people in Canada are living with dementia . This number will only increase in the coming years.?

Building a safe and trusting space where 2SLGBTQI+ older adults with dementia feel comfortable can be done by practicing cultural humility, which emphasizes being aware as a learner of others' experiences. Cultural humility also helps establish cultural safety, an environment free of racism and discrimination, where people feel safe when receiving health care.?

The Cultural Safety and Trauma-Informed Care resource outlines a few ways you can include cultural humility in your care routine, helping lead to early screening, managing modifiable risk factors and access to care for older adults with dementia.

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