By Tara Cavanaugh
The Older Adult Summit on April 6 will address the specific issues faced by today's older LGBT adults. Those health, financial and legal issues, if not properly prepared for, sometimes force older adults back into the closet.
The summit is sponsored by a hodgepodge of organizations: The ACLU of Michigan, the Jewish Gay Network, SPICE, Affirmations, Equality Michigan, the Jim Toy Community Center and Medilodge.
"We're hoping people age 50 and over will show up," said Judy Lewis, director of the Jewish Gay Network. "That way they'll be able to find out what legal, medical and financial opportunities exist before it's too late."
Older LGBT adults face particular difficulties that their straight counterparts don't. They may not be entitled to their partner's social security or other medical benefits after death that widowed husbands and wives are allowed to access. Older LGBT adults may also be lonely and isolated in nursing homes because they don't feel comfortable telling staff about their relationships.
"One of the biggest problems is providers don't get any training about LGBT issues," said Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan's LGBT Project. "There's the assumption that everyone is heterosexual."
Some older adults may not be aware of certain health problems they should check for. Older lesbians, Lewis said, may not be screened for certain cancers because they don't feel the need to see a gynecologist.
The problems faced by older adults are particularly important to address right now, Lewis said, because the large older adult population is only growing larger. Today more than 36.8 million people are 65 and older in the U.S., which is 12 percent of the population. By 2030 more than 20 percent of the population will be over age 65.
The summit will feature a panel of older adults who will discuss their experiences and advice. It takes place from 2-4 at Affirmations (located at 290 W. Nine Mile Road in Ferndale), and the session will be repeated again at 6. Attendees can enjoy dinner and a presentation from Kaplan about legal issues between 4:30 and 5:30.
Advance registration is required to attend. Each session can hold up to 75 attendees. Registration can be completed at Affirmations website http://www.goaffirmations.org,or by calling 248.812.9202.
