LeadingAge New York Annual Conference 2017 June 2017 | Page 13

Imagine for a Moment…
By Kathie Kane
…you are in your room with that special someone, the person who makes you
happy, shares your trials and tribulations and brightens your day. Who is that
person? What is your relationship? Spouse, partner, friend, relative? Suddenly, there
is a knock on the door. Do you startle and separate or do you invite the visitor
into your space?
Apply for a Healthcare Equality Index
branding by contacting www.hrc.org/hei
In Reaching the LGBT Boomer Consumer, Philip Mehl, director of long term care,
Woodland Pond at New Paltz and ProCare consultant, LeadingAge New York
reminded members that every decision your LGBT seniors make is based on years of prejudice, secrecy, fear and sometimes
shame. How welcoming is your organization? Will it look like, feel like, home to LGBT seniors?
Even with the best of intentions, you may be inadvertently sending the wrong message – that it isn’t a safe place to discuss your
lifestyle and relationships, and to simply be yourself.
Awareness is the first step that should lead to