How to Support LGBTQ+ Older Adults in Illinois
Nearly 2.9 million Illinoisians are now 60 or older, representing 22% of the population in Illinois. Far too many older adults experience abuse, neglect, poor care, isolation, and difficulty finding affirming and supportive spaces. For LGBTQ+ older adults, the barriers and discrimination they face when trying to access healthcare and social support are compounded due to anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination and lack of knowledge of LGBTQ+ health. As the population in Illinois continues to age, there needs to be a comprehensive plan to support the aging population. That is why we worked with Illinois Aging Together to advocate for the needs of LGBTQ+ older adults, leading to the Governor recently authorizing an executive order to establish a planning commission to develop and implement a multi-year Multi-Sector Plan for Aging (MPA). The MPA will serve as a 10-year blueprint to support healthy aging in Illinois and set clear, measurable objectives for evaluating public and private sector progress toward this goal. Learn more about how this plan will advance the health, mental, and social needs of LGBTQ+ older adults!
The Multi-Sector Plan for Aging (MPA)
LGBTQ+ older adults face unique challenges. Healthcare access, supportive and stable housing, and community support systems can look different for LGBTQ+ older adults compared to other older adults for a variety of reasons. For example, LGBTQ+ older adults are twice as likely to be single and live alone and four times less likely to have children. LGBTQ+ older adults are also far more likely than heterosexual peers to have faced discrimination, social stigma, and the effects of prejudice. This discrimination has far-reaching effects on health outcomes and financial stability: LGBTQ+ older adults are more likely to face poverty and homelessness, and more likely to have poor physical and mental health. One-third of LGBTQ+ older adults live at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, while LGBTQ+ older adults are more likely than non-LGBTQ+ to be told they have cancer at 29% and 23% respectively. Without intentional interventions focused on meeting the specific needs of LGBTQ+ older adults, LGBTQ+ older adults will continue to experience stark disparities in physical and mental health outcomes including higher rates of cardiovascular disease, frailty and mobility issues, depression, and substance and alcohol misuse.
Illinois Aging Together, a coalition of 188 organizations including Howard Brown Health, has been drafting and advocating for legislation for years that would create a commission to develop a multi-sector plan for aging. The Governor’s executive order creating the MPA was a huge advocacy achievement for Illinois Aging Together. The MPA will serve as another component to support older adults in every facet of their lives and serve as a blueprint to enact much-needed state legislation around aging. Stakeholders around the state will help draft the MPA in conjunction with an MPA planning commission, The Department of Aging, and other stakeholders. A final MPA will be delivered to the Governor and General Assembly by 2025, and an additional status report by 2026. The MPA is a comprehensive plan and has several focuses including:
- Removing barriers to accessing healthcare: The plan aims to increase access and reduce the cost of primary care, behavioral, neurological, oral, and audiological healthcare, and prescriptions, across the state. It plans to institute geriatric and dementia education requirements for all healthcare providers. It will ensure that an older person’s right to self-determination is respected and upheld. Removing barriers to healthcare is incredibly important for LGBTQ+ older adults as well as older adults living with HIV. In Illinois, 47% of PLWH were 50+. As this population ages, we know that other health issues become a major concern. HIV may affect the biology of aging and as a result, older adults with HIV may suffer from aging-related illnesses such as dementia, arthritis, and certain cancers earlier and at higher rates than those without HIV. If we don’t eliminate LGBTQ+ older adults’ barriers to healthcare, social services, and other supports, the long-term physical, mental, and overall costs of treatment could lead to worsening health outcomes or even death.
- Strengthen and improve service infrastructure for the quality, staffing, accessibility, and availability of long-term services and supports: Illinois nursing homes had the lowest staffing in the nation across the five years reviewed by USA TODAY. In 2022, 91% of nursing homes did not meet state and federal staffing guidelines. It is already difficult for LGBTQ+ older adults to access long-term services as they are more likely to face discrimination when seeking services, have lower incomes, and need more social services than some of their cisgender or straight counterparts. With a focus on infrastructure, staffing, and accessibility, this goal of the MPA will better enable older LGBTQ+ persons to remain in their homes and communities according to their wishes (to age-in-place), or to utilize nursing homes safely.
The Multi-Sector Plan for Aging is one way we can acknowledge and support the unique needs and experiences of LGBTQ+ older adults. This can be a guiding light for service providers, advocates, and aging networks as they look to pass legislation or understand how these issues impact the lives of LGBTQ+ older adults. You can learn more about this important Executive Order and the MPA by visiting here and here. You can visit Howard Brown’s website for more information on our policy priorities and state legislative agenda. You can also visit our Advocacy page to learn more about our work.