LGBTQ+ people caring for their old and dying

CARING FOR CARETAKERS: LGBTQ+ people provide informal, unpaid care at slightly higher rates than the general population. One in five LGBTQ+ people provide care for another adult, compared to one in six non-LGBTQ+ people, according to a report by SAGE, a queer advocacy group for the elderly.

The tasks associated with caregiving vary widely, depending on the care recipient’s needs. Some spend their time completing complex tasks like managing their loved one’s finances and scheduling doctor’s appointments. Others focus on high-touch tasks such as dressing and bathing their loved ones. Many caregivers have no choice but to do it all.

As a result, burnout amongst caregivers is a common occurrence, which can lead to adverse health problems. 

“Very often the caregiver dies before the person they're caring for because of all the stress and everything that's involved in it,” said George Burson, who works with caregivers at the Phoenix non-profit Duet Aging.

LOOKOUT'S TAKE: As society has grown with more acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, our numbers have risen with people coming out in their older (and at the same time increasingly younger) years.

While that may be a net good with people being able to live their authentic selves, it comes with its own burden as we dig into how they'll age. More LGBTQ+ people are less likely to have wills drafted before their death, less likely to have children who can care for them when they get older, and are more at risk of experiencing loneliness or isolation resulting in premature death.

All these issues compound to a situation where we are facing a record number of LGBTQ+ people growing old with a shrinking healthcare system designed to help them. Relying on younger community members to care for this group could result in its own set of problems, as our writer Fitzwilliam Anderson explains in his piece, below:

LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be caregivers, at a detriment to their health.

Research shows that caregiving often results in isolation and burnout, and it’s hitting queer people hardest.

LOOKOUTFitzwilliam Anderson (he/him)

🌵 LOCAL NEWS

• VOICES: Arizona's poor sex education has deep ramifications on the way people end up living their lives. In the first installment from our new "Voices" series, read how one Tucson resident had to turn to other kids to figure out the basics. LOOKOUT
• WILL LAKE DEBATE?: After winning the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, Kari Lake has backed away from debating her opponent, Ruben Gallego. NBC News

🇺🇸 NATIONAL NEWS

• HEALTHCARE BAN: Residents in Ohio are waiting for a federal judge's decision on if the state's ban on trans healthcare is unconstitutional. Buckeye Flame
• BLACK NITE: Milwaukee officials unveiled its first LGBTQ+ landmark for a Black trans woman outside the Black Nite bar, where the city saw its first queer uprising. Spectrum1
• CHILD SUICIDE: A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that almost 40% of LGBTQ+ youth contemplate suicide. ABC News
• WALZ IN: A rundown on LGBTQ+ actions taken by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was chosen to be Kamala Harris's running mate yesterday. Pink News

Last week's question: What is the medical problem caregivers can suffer from as a result of their work?

Last week's answer: Caregiver burnout