Information for aged care providers
Val’s LGBTI Ageing & Aged Care provides a range of information, resources and service links to assist aged care providers and services working with and/or supporting older people to develop knowledge and capability to provide LGBTI+ safe, welcoming and inclusive care.
Case Study: Diversity and Inclusion, Dignity and Respect: One couples journey of accessing in-home aged care services.
This case study and accompanying resources, developed in partnership with Grampians Sector Development Team, highlights the experiences of Garry and Les, a couple navigating and accessing in-home aged care services. Their story and experiences provide an important reminder to aged care providers that all consumers have the right to safe, welcoming, person-centred, rights-based aged care. Use these resources to develop LGBTI+ awareness and inclusive actions within your services and teams, and to help meet your aged care requirements.
Download the Case study [PDF 400kb]
Watch the Reflective Practice session
Listen to Garry share his Story
Rainbow Tick Standards: A framework for LGBTIQ cultural safety
The Rainbow Tick framework developed by Rainbow Health Australia is designed to support organisations to improve the quality of care and services they provide to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) service users, staff and volunteers. This resource provides a guide to the six LGBTIQ-inclusive practice Standards that are used in Rainbow Tick accreditation. The Rainbow Tick Standards serve as a useful framework to guide best practice in LGBTIQ inclusion at any stage of the change process. More information can be found at Rainbow Health Australia.
Rainbow Tick accreditation and evidence guide
This guide is the supplement to Rainbow Tick: a framework for LGBTIQ cultural safety and outlines the associated actions and examples of evidence that might be used to demonstrate that an organisation has met Rainbow Tick accreditation standards, and/or LGBTI inclusive practice.
LGBTI Inclusive Language Guide [PDF 116KB]
This guide explains how to use language respectfully and inclusively when working with and referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse and intersex people. It's for Victorian public sector employees but can be useful for anyone.
Beyond a rainbow sticker. A report the 2012-2013 program [PDF 864KB]
The report from the second How2 program. This highly effective and successful program builds the capacity of services and organisations to become LGBTI inclusive. See www.rainbowhealthvic.org.au for information on the program.
LGBTI-inclusive risk management: providing cultural safety [PDF 1.1MB]
The LGBTI inclusive risk management guide can assist services to understand risk and provide LGBTI culturally safe services.
LGBTI-inclusive actions – Planning for Action resource [PDF 213KB]
The Val’s LGBTI Ageing & Aged Care Planning for Action Resource provides aged care service providers with a range of considerations and achievable actions to help your service become LGBTI aware, welcoming and inclusive
Planning for Actions – Social Support Activities [PDF 219KB]
Val’s has developed a resource with suggested activities and events for inclusion in mainstream social support programs and residential aged care activity and lifestyle programs that will be of interest and/or relevance to older LGBTI people and their allies.
Intersex inclusion Guide [Link to download]
Intersex Human Rights Australia has developed an inclusion guide to respecting people with intersex variations
How to be an Intersex Ally[Link to download]
Intersex Human Rights Australia has produced a resource to educate and assist people to be an intersex ally, respect the diversity of the intersex population, use appropriate language and guide inclusive practice.
National Aged Care Diversity Framework
The National Aged Care Diversity Framework provides an overarching structure and guidance around diversity in aged care and includes a number of action plans (see following headings Actions to Support…). The Diversity Framework and the LGBTI Action Plans build on the first National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Aged Care Strategy 2012 - 17.
Actions to Support LGBTI Elders: a Guide for Consumers [Link to download]
In conjunction with the National Aged Care Diversity Framework, this guide may help older lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/gender diverse, and intersex (LGBTI) to express their needs with aged care providers. It can also help people working in aged care to better understand and address LGBTI needs and experiences.
Actions to Support LGBTI Elders: a Guide for Aged Care Providers [Link to download]
Together with the National Diversity Framework, this action plan has been developed for aged care providers and outlines key actions for the development and delivery of LGBTI inclusive services for older people.
Specialisation Verification Framework - LGBTI+ [PDF 778KB]
Val's LGBTI Ageing & Aged Care can assist service providers to understand and meet the criteria to achieve Specialisation Verification - LGBTI. This resource in addition to the manual provides details regarding the Aged Care Specialisation Verification Framework. Subscribe to our mailing list for news about workshops, support and new resources.
Specialisation Verification Framework manual [PDF 935KB]
Specialisation Verification is a voluntary process where an aged care provider can apply to be recognised for verified actions to support people from diverse communities and backgrounds to access care. There are nine specific cohorts to support which includes older LGBTI+ consumers. Find out more
ACAS LGBTI inclusive guide sheets [PDF 532KB]
Val's & ACAS Victoria (Aged Care Assessment Services) Victoria developed these guide sheets to provide aged care assessment practitioners and staff with succinct information about the needs and experiences of older LGBTI people accessing services.
Trans Ageing & Aged Care Project [PDF 1.3MB]
Experiences and needs of LGBT people living with dementia [PDF 363KB]
We are still gay, is one of Australia's first evidenced based studies documenting the experiences and needs of LGBT Australians living with dementia. The resource outlines the key identified issues from the research and provides suggested strategies to help meet the needs of LGBT people living with dementia.
Social connection, relationships and older lesbian and gay people [PDF 376KB]
The paper presents data and information from a small-scale study, and describes the importance of understanding social connections in the lives of older lesbians and gay men. It also highlights the need for inclusive services to ensure that social networks are supported and that health and well-being are promoted.
Exploring the experiences of GLBTI seniors in aged care services [PDF 363KB]
This 2008 report was the result of a study conducted by the Matrix Guild and Vintage Men exploring the experiences of older non-heterosexual people as recipients of aged care services and support for older people. This stage 1 report includes narratives if older LGBTI people and their experiences of aged care services.
Strategies towards the development of GLBTI friendly aged care services in Victoria [PDF 1MB]
My Story, My People [PDF 415KB]
Stories about older gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people’s experiences of aged care. Extracts from the My People study.
LGBT Later in Life [PDF 286KB]
Retirement accommodation and aged care issues for non-heterosexual populations [PDF 4.9MB]
This research report outlines Western Australian retirement and residential aged care service providers‘ practices and attitudes towards older GLBTI clients. This was used to help inform the development of best practice guidelines for the industry with the aim of providing more GLBTI-inclusive services
Placing People First: Person-Centred Care, Diversity & Human Rights in Aged Care [PDF 217KB]
A suite of resources developed by Sector Support & Development partners – Bolton Clarke, Eastern Metropolitan SSD, & Val’s LGBTI Ageing & Aged Care focusing on explores how person-centred care, diversity, and human rights intersect within the context of aged care reform.
Placing People First: rapid review (Inclusive Person Centred Care Article and Actions pdf – attached)
Rights-based, person-centred care action plan
Placing People First – PowerPoint video
Radio & podcast with Val's
Val's is now regularly on Radio 3CR each fortnight - more information and episodes from 3CR
Val's has also contributed to 3 podcast episodes (episodes 14.15 &16) developed by Eastern Sector Development Team: Access and cultural safety for older LGBTI people; inclusive service delivery for older LGBTI people; Creating inclusive assessment environments for older LGBTI people.
Darlington Statement: Joint consensus statement from the intersex community [PDF 2.86MB]
Joint statement by Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand intersex community organisations and independent advocates at the intersex community retreat in Darlington, March 2017.
Culturally safe services for older LGBTI people [PDF 97KB]
Journal article written by Val's regarding culturally safe and inclusive practice for older LGBTI people.
Experiences and needs of LGBT people living with dementia [PDF 363KB]
We are still gay... an evidence-based resource exploring the experiences of and needs of LGBT people living with dementia. This resource outlines the key issues from the study with suggested strategies for service providers to help meet the needs of LGBT people living with dementia. It includes narrative case studies which can be used by service providers to build knowledge, capacity and confidence to provide LGBT inclusive care and support.
LGBTI carers and the carers of older LGBTI people [PDF 328KB]
This resource draws from interviews and a survey conducted with LGBTI carers and the carers of LGBTI people. It includes narratives from carers, and a guide to providing inclusive services and support for carers.
Experiences and needs of LGBT Australians living with dementia, and their partners [PDF 215KB]
This article explores the experiences of LGBT Australians living with dementia and their partners, and their interactions with biological family and service providers.
There’s No Need to Straighten Up [PDF 5MB]
This study was commissioned by beyondblue and carried out by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, in collaboration with the Western Australian Centre for Health Promotion Research, Curtin University between 2012 -2013. It was undertaken in response to a growing body of research linking higher rates of depression, anxiety and related disorders among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) Australians to their experiences of homophobic and transphobic discrimination.
Research Matters: How many people are LGBTIQ?
A fact sheet b y Rainbow Health Australia
Older LGBTI people at risk of homelessness – Out of the closet, Out of Options
This report presents the information from a survey and study undertaken by Housing for the Aged Action Group regarding the housing experiences of older LGBTI people in Victoria.
My People
My people is one of the first Australian research reports detailing the experiences and needs of older LGBTI people. Although written prior to the amendment to the Aged Care Act 2012, (Inclusion of older LGBTI people as a special needs group) it provides details and perspectives of older LGBTI people and their experiences of and access to care and support.
Intersex Inclusive Aged Care Guide
This resource was developed by Val's and partners in 2014 to help improve the experiences of intersex people as they age and their access to inclusive services and support.