Most caregivers don’t realize they are caregivers. You may just be helping
LGBT people become caregivers more often.2 Mom is sick. Your
someone out or “doing the right thing,”
loved one who needs assistance —
sister’s busy with her high-powered career, your brother’s busy raising his kids, and you end up taking on the bulk of Mom’s care. Sound familiar?
cooking meals, taking them to the
You’re not alone. LGBT baby boomers
doctor, helping them bathe, or even just
and Millennials tend to take on the
checking in on their wellbeing — you
care of their aging parents at a dis-
are a caregiver!
proportionate rate. Even if partnered,
but guess what? If you’re providing any kind of ongoing support to a friend or
LGBT adults are often perceived to
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YOU define your family. The term
have fewer responsibilities to their
family caregiver
is increasingly being
own nuclear families, so parents and
used to refer to those who care for
siblings turn to them first for caregiv-
family members and loved ones, in or-
ing. And though we may not be seen
der to distinguish them from paid care-
as the “sandwich generation” if we
givers such as nurses, aides, or in-home
don’t have kids, we’re often caring for
health assistants.
In most cases, the
friends and members of our commu-
“family” in family caregiver is defined
nity at the same time, which results in
very broadly, and is meant to include
the same sort of juggling act.
close friends, unmarried partners, and anyone else who YOU consider family.
Caregivers tend to have poorer mental and physical health than
Many LGBT older adults have relatively small support networks,1 and they tend to rely on other LGBT older adults for care, which means their caregivers are likely to experience isolation. Finding others who can assist,
non-caregivers.3 For a population that
including professional service providers,
with regular medical appointments,
is an important way to avoid becoming
getting emotional support when you
overwhelmed and to make sure that a
need it, and making time for things
loved one’s care won’t lapse due to
you love to do will help you to be a
health problems or caregiver burnout.
better caregiver for your loved one.
already experiences health disparities, this is a serious concern. It’s important to take care of yourself, even though you may be focused on caring for someone else. Keeping up
Financial disparities can be exacerbated by the costs of caregiving, both directly (e.g. paying for medication) and indirectly (e.g. missing work). Most LGBT older
You Are Not Alone! Resources for LGBT Caregivers
adults do not have the financial means to fully support themselves should they need long-term medical care.4 And with fewer people sharing the care, more money is coming out of each individual caregiver’s pocket. Many LGBT people have already been caregivers,
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especially during the AIDS crisis. If caring for a loved one now brings up difficult memories or feelings for you, it
may help to find someone you can talk to. See the resources at right for additional information. A majority of states have passed versions of the CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable) Act, which requires hospitals to ask each patient, at admission, if they’d like to designate someone as a caregiver. This generally does NOT have to be a spouse or biological family member; the patient can designate anyone they choose. The hospital then has responsibilities to notify
the designated caregiver about discharge planning, and
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to provide instruction on tasks the caregiver may need to perform at home. Check with your local AARP office for details about the CARE Act in your state. Advance Directives such as a health care proxy, living will, and power of attorney are critical for anyone whose primary caregiver is not their legal “next of kin” (generally a spouse, parent, or child). Whatever the relationship, a caregiver can assume the rights to make
medical decisions, manage finances, and settle a loved one’s affairs when necessary, IF that loved one puts their
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wishes in writing in advance. Check with your local Area Agency on Aging, your state health department, or the resources on the right for information on these types of legal documents.
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