To address the growing health and economic needs of underserved older adults, including elders of color and LGBT elders Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) will host during the 2012 SAGENet Annual Meeting, a yearly gathering of local SAGE affiliates that serve LGBT elders in different parts of the country. This panel convenes at a pivotal time, as the demographics of older people in the United States is rapidly changing: elders of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elders together will represent a majority of older adults in this country by 2050. Yet they face profound economic insecurity. Also, critical services, such as health care, are often less accessible and responsive to the needs of these communities; people of color are less likely to be insured and receive preventative treatment while LGBT older adults face similar experiences due to anti-LGBT stigma and a widespread lack of cultural competency, among other factors. What then should local aging providers do to better support these populations? The panel will feature top leaders from Chicago’s LGBT and aging organizations who will highlight the progress that their organizations and communities have made towards being more responsive to these diverse populations, as well as discuss the infrastructure and policy changes needed to better meet the needs of historically underserved elders. The Chicago Provider Panel on Diversity and Inclusion is open to the public. The 2012 SAGENet Annual Meeting is a 3-day training and networking event bringing together current and future leaders from SAGENet affiliates to exchange ideas about LGBT aging programs and policies, discuss how federal policy affects their local work, and learn about a workforce development program for under-employed and unemployed LGBT elders. SAGENet comprises 23 affiliates located in 16 states around the country, across every region of the country. These affiliates provide services and programs to LGBT older people in their local communities. They also work on city and state advocacy to ensure that public policies better support the needs of LGBT elders. WHO: Dennis Beauchamp, Clinical Manager of Community Counseling, CJE SeniorLife; Michael Goldberg, Executive Director, Heartland Housing; Kim L. Hunt, Executive Director, Affinity Community Services; Beverly Kimmons, Director of Diversity Initiatives, Alzheimer’s Association; Britta Larson, Senior Services Director, Center on Halsted; Grisel Rodriguez-Morales, Rush University Medical Center. The panel will be moderated by SAGE Executive Director Michael Adams. More information from Serena Worthington, Director of Community Advocacy and Capacity Building, sworthington@sageusa.org.
