LGBT aging: the approaching silver wave

Over the next twenty to thirty years, nearly four million LGBT Baby Boomers will be retiring and begin using the aging services in the United States. This thesis presents a critical literature synthesis that examines the public health significance of LGBT seniors’ health disparities and health protectors, the historical framework that has shaped their lives, and the structural issues that create health disparities. Unique aspects of subgroups within the LGBT population are extrapolated as well. The three major recommendations to support LGBT seniors are: 1) Improve LGBT research to gather more nuanced information on LGBT seniors including the intersection of sexuality with other minority statuses, 2) Support aging-in-place for LGBT seniors to give them a safe, supportive environment surrounded by self-selected friends and family, and 3) Improve and implement LGBT sensitivity training for medical and support groups working with LGBT seniors