Imagined Futures and Communities: Older Lesbian and Gay People's Narratives on Health and Aged Care

SUMMARY

This study examined older lesbians' and gays' experiences and expectations of Australian health and aged care service delivery. It was exploratory and comprised in-depth interviews with 14 older lesbian and gay people in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Interview data were analyzed according to the principles and techniques of narrative research. This included an analysis of the socio-linguistic properties of specific narratives, as well as a wider socio-cultural analysis of the meaning expressed in these narratives. Participants conveyed different types of narratives, including narratives on specific past events, habitual narratives, and hypothetical narratives. These involved reflections on past and anticipated care in local communities, lesbian and gay communities, and friendship networks.

KEYWORDS:

• Aging
• Australia
• friendship networks
• gay and lesbian identities
• imagined communities
• narrative research
• older gays and lesbians