Research Projects

2SLGBTQIA+ Inclusion in Long-Term Care

For many 2SLGBTQIA+ seniors, entering long-term care can bring particular concerns about whether their identity, relationships, chosen family, history, and care needs will be understood and respected. Some older adults may feel pressure to conceal parts of themselves or enter care environments where staff have had limited opportunities to learn about the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ people as they age.

Our Long-Term Care Project works alongside long-term care communities to help change this.

What We're Doing

Working with long-term care providers across B.C., Queer Aging BC is supporting care communities to create more affirming and culturally responsive environments for 2SLGBTQIA+ residents.

Our work includes:

• identifying and supporting long-term care communities across British Columbia

• providing education and practical workshops for staff and care teams

• exploring policies, practices, environments, and resources through a 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion lens

• supporting care teams to apply learning to realistic situations they may encounter in long-term care

• building relationships between long-term care providers and local 2SLGBTQIA+ communities

• identifying promising practices and learning that can be shared across the sector

Our approach recognizes that meaningful inclusion is about more than visible symbols or a single training session. It means building the knowledge, confidence, practices, policies, and relationships that allow residents to be fully themselves throughout later life.

A Province-Wide Project

The Long-Term Care Project is now working with long-term care communities across all five of British Columbia's regional health authorities.

Working across the province gives us opportunities to learn from communities with different populations, geographies, organizational structures, and experiences. This helps us better understand both the common challenges facing 2SLGBTQIA+ seniors in long-term care and the different approaches communities are taking to create more inclusive care.

The project is designed to build relationships over time, recognizing that meaningful organizational and cultural change happens through continued learning, reflection, and practice.

Where We're Working

Our work to date includes the following long-term care communities:

Fraser Health

• AgeCare Royal City — New Westminster

Interior Health

• Three Links Manor — Kelowna

• Haven Hill Retirement Centre — Penticton

• Westview Place — Penticton

• Gateby Care Centre — Vernon

Island Health

• Eden Gardens — Nanaimo

• The Kiwanis Pavilion — Saanich

• Veterans Memorial Lodge at Broadmead — Saanich

Northern Health

• Gateway Lodge — Prince George

• Jubilee Lodge — Prince George

• Parkside Care — Prince George

• Rainbow Lodge — Prince George

• Simon Fraser Lodge — Prince George

Vancouver Coastal Health

• Dogwood Care Home — Vancouver

• Haro Park Centre — Vancouver

How We Work With Long-Term Care Communities

Our work is collaborative and responsive to the needs of each participating community.

We work with care teams and leadership to explore how 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion shows up in everyday care. This can include staff knowledge and confidence, communication with residents and chosen families, organizational practices and policies, the physical and social environment, and the ways residents' identities and histories are recognized throughout their care.

Education is paired with opportunities for discussion and practical application. Rather than approaching inclusion as a checklist, we encourage care teams to consider realistic situations they may encounter and build the confidence to respond thoughtfully and affirmingly.

The experiences and learning emerging from participating communities also help inform the wider project and the resources we develop.

Building on What We Learn

As the project continues, Queer Aging BC will bring together learning from participating communities to identify promising practices, common challenges, and opportunities for further change.

Our aim is to translate that learning into practical resources and approaches that can support long-term care providers throughout British Columbia, including communities that may not yet be directly involved in the project.

Ultimately, we want 2SLGBTQIA+ seniors entering long-term care to know that they do not need to leave important parts of themselves at the door.

Interested in This Work?

If you work in long-term care and are interested in strengthening 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion within your community, we'd love to hear from you.

Whether you're interested in education and training, practical resources, or exploring how your long-term care community could become involved in the project, please contact:

Labhrás Quigley
Long-Term Care Research Lead
Queer Aging BC
labhras@queeragingbc.ca