Remaining social is an important aspect of healthy aging. An active social life provides a sense of belonging, connects you to the world around you, and benefits your health in a variety of ways.
One study states that older adults 60 and older consistently rank relationships with family and friends second only to health as the most important issue in life. And yet, older adults are at a significant risk for social isolation. It is estimated that 12% of those aged 60 and older report feeling isolated.
This is especially true of certain groups of older adults, particularly those who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ+).
According to AARP, LGBTQ+ adults age 50-95 are at greater risk of social isolation. This may be due to a number of factors, including:
- LGBTQ+ older adults are more likely to live alone than heterosexuals. According to Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual & Transgender Elders (SAGE), older LGBTQ+ people are four times less likely to have children, a key support network for older adults.
- LGBTQ+ older adults struggle with financial insecurity at a greater degree than others. Living alone can lead to less support and entertainment options.
- The LGBTQ+ community has a history of being discriminated against and victimized. This can cause concern when reaching out to make new connections and friendships. While laws, beliefs, and attitudes have changed over the past 40+ years, a study of issues for older LGBTQ+ adults in long term care found that only 22% of LGBT respondents would feel comfortable revealing their sexual orientation or gender identity in a long-term care setting.
According to a study published in the Psychological Bulletin, the older you get, the fewer friends you are likely to have. Researchers found that the drop in friendships is often due to marriage and a desire to focus on closer relationships. A close-knit community can feel safe and comforting as we age through our forties and fifties, especially for LGBTQ+ people who may feel more comforted by a small intimate circle of friends because of discrimination and lack of acceptance of their LGBTQ+ identity.
With one study estimating that we lose half of our close relationships every seven years and another stating that making new connections and developing new friendships becomes more difficult as we age, it’s no wonder that older adults are facing isolation and loneliness. With the added burden of connecting with LGBTQ+ friendly people, it makes sense that older LGBTQ+ people experience greater isolation.
Another problem arising from social isolation is a heightened chance of experiencing elder abuse. The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), in the research brief “Mistreatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Elders” (dated January 2021), reported that a survey of 416 LGB elders, aged 50 or older, revealed that 29% had been physically attacked. Men were physically attacked nearly three times more often. Our society’s opinion of the LGBTQ+ may have improved in the past 40+ years, but we still have a long way to go.
There are avenues opening up for LGBTQ+ people to connect with communities that will embrace and accept them for who they are. There are faith communities that openly welcome LGBTQ+ individuals. You can find accepting local LGBTQ+ communities at www.meetup.com. Here on the North Shore, there is North Shore Pride (www.northshorpride.org), whose mission is to promote the general welfare and unity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community within the North Shore, and to advocate for the acceptance of the members of the LGBTQ+ community by the broader North Shore community. North Shore Pride engages in activities designed to promote greater understanding of LGBTQ+ issues by partnering with allied individuals and organizations.
For more information, a comprehensive report “Understanding Issues Facing LGBT Older Adults,” prepared in 2017 by The Movement Advancement Project can be viewed and downloaded at https://www.lgbtmap.org/file/understanding-issues-facing-lgbt-older-adults.pdf.