Identifying barriers to care and support: Aging in Central Kentucky

ABSTRACT

Gay and lesbian individuals, as they age, may experience trouble navigating the variety of community and social systems that have been put in place to assist older adults. In this study, we worked with the local gay and lesbian communities to identify the most significant challenges facing aging lesbian and gay individuals in Central Kentucky. Data were collected through key informant one-on-one interviews and focus groups. We relied on a community-based snowball approach for participant recruitment. The research team conducted three focus groups (one gay-male focused (n = 3) and two lesbians focused (n = 7)) and eight (n = 8) key informant interviews. Three key themes were found in these interviews, broadly categorized into long-term care, social support, and health care. Initial findings support the further development and expansion of a community-generated needs assessment to understand better the challenges facing aging sexual minority Kentuckians.

KEYWORDS:

• Aging
• Needs Assessment
• Community
• LGBT
• Health Access

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Solomon Van Meter and Hollie Sands for their assistance in the study.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No competing financial interests exist.

Additional information

Funding

We would also like to thank JustFundKY for providing funding for the study. The project described was supported by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through [grant numbers UL1TR000117 and UL1TR001998]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.