New guide for care homes to support inclusive care practice for older LGBTQ+ people

Researchers from the University of Kent, in collaboration with the University of Surrey and the University of Hertfordshire, have developed a free guide to support care homes to provide care that is inclusive for older lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) people.

The guide was co-designed by a group of older LGBTQ+ people and care home staff, who were involved in all aspects from the outset. The guide offers practical tips about positive actions care staff can take to make their care practice more inclusive for LGBTQ+ residents. It can for example be used in day-to-day care practice, in supervision conversations, and in staff training. It also includes signage that can be displayed to indicate that the home and staff are working on LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Existing research shows that many older LGBTQ+ people experience discrimination and inequalities when engaging with health and care services in the UK. When it comes to care homes, many older LGBTQ+ people fear 'having to go back into the closet' to be safe. At the same time, previous research has found that many care staff do not have the knowledge and confidence to provide inclusive and affirmative care for older LGBTQ+ people.

The care home guide was produced as part of a larger research study examining LGBTQ+ inclusion in care homes called CIRCLE (Creating Inclusive Residential Care for LGBTQ+ Elders) led by Dr Jolie Keemink from the University of Kent’s Centre for Health Services Studies.

Dr Keemink said: ‘Research shows that the older LGBTQ+ population is expected to rely more heavily on social care than their cis-gender, heterosexual counterparts, because they are less likely to have children and more likely to experience a lack of social support. Older LGBTQ+ people may also have unique health risks that increase their likelihood of needing care. There is an urgent need for improvements with regards to LGBTQ+ inclusion within care homes and we hope that this guide can play a useful role in this.’

With the CIRCLE care home guide officially launched, the research team hopes that it will be downloaded and used by many care home providers across the United Kingdom. The team will be collecting data on the impact of the guide, to explore whether it helps staff with their skills and confidence with regards to LGBTQ+ inclusive care provision.

The CIRCLE guide, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex, is available in several formats. There are a limited amount of physical copies that will be distributed in the local authorities that supported the project (East Sussex, West Sussex, Brighton & Hove). Physical copies will also be available at the Care Show in Birmingham (9-10 Oct). Downloadable and printable formats of the guide, as well as a video version, can be found on https://research.kent.ac.uk/circle-guide/