Soziale Netzwerke und Pflege von älteren lesbischen, schwulen, bisexuellen, trans* und inter* Personen
摘要
Social relationships are an important source of practical, emotional and nursing support, especially in the context of the need for care. As older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI*) people frequently live alone and have children less often, non-kinship relationships take on a particularly important role. The extent to which non-heterosexual individuals develop (potentially compensatory) strategies to cope with episodes of needing care has, to date, rarely been the focus of research on aging.
ObjectiveTo investigate the role of social support for older LGBTI* people with long-term care needs, including any implications for how this should be approached.
MethodsThe international scoping review was conducted using the scientific databases: APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PSYNDEX literature with PSYNDEX tests, BASE, Livivo, Pubpsych, PubMed, and Google Scholar. A total of 19 articles were identified for analysis.
ConclusionThis article highlights three key themes related to social networks and care for older LGBTI* individuals: sociodemographic challenges, support resources, and structures for care of older persons and strategies for good quality of care. Family of choice connections are the backbone of social support for LGBTI* individuals but are also perceived as fragile when it comes to long-term care. Strategies for good quality of care include visibility of non-conforming sexual or gender identity, stigma management in long-term care facilities and proactive care planning. In order to support the compensatory effect of chosen family relationships among LGBTI* seniors, the development of diversity sensitive care and work with caregivers is needed. How this has been addressed to date and recommendations for future themes in gerontological diversity research are discussed.