‘ here will Vermonters go when
they’re old and gay? As the
population of baby boomers

rapidly approaches senior status, the
need for senior housing andretirement -
communities is growing along with it.
While the need is evident, how and
where the aging queer population will fit
into this picture is not so clear.

Are retirement communities
and nursing homes ready to embrace us
as we age? Will they be sensitive to who
we are, where we’ve been and what we
need? Will their staffs be prepared to
care for us as couples without prejudice
or discrimination? What will they do if
other residents express discomfort at

and freedom if you are queer?

Charlotte Cassidy manages
Addison House, a Middlebury communi-
ty care home (no skilled nursing care)
for up to 16 seniors. She declared that

~ diversity issues “have never come up in‘

our facility.” She said that there have
never been any “out” gays or lesbians
that she has known of at Addison House.

According to Cassidy, the
only in-service trainings for staff focus
on physical and mental health issues
such as dementia and Alzheimers. The

' management does not provide diversity

training to any staff. Addison House does
allow couples to share rooms. When
asked if they would allow gay and les-
‘bian couples to share rooms, the
response was ‘‘I don’t see why not.”

Wake Robin, a"‘life care”
community in Shelbume has a non-dis-
crimination clause that includes sexual
orientation in its brochures. All inquiries
into Wake Robin receive this informa-
tion. According to Joyce Reddy-Bradbee
of Wake Robin, nondiscrimination is
emphasized in their staff orientation, and
some of the management staff have
attended workshops focused on gay and

being around us?

Vermonters may be familiar
with the Cathedral Square Corporation,
which manages properties for seniors in ,
Burlington, Colchester, Jericho,
Richmond, Waitsfield, Waterbury, and ‘
Williston. According to Rich Icklan,
Cathedral Square’s Communications
Director, staff working with residents of
these properties are not required to
attend any type of diversity or in-service
training covering issues of a diverse pop-
ulation. ‘ ‘
~ However, the CSC website
states, “CSC services are available to all
on an equal opportunity, nondiscrimina-
tory basis.” Being able to get into afford-
able senior housing without being dis-
criminated against is certainly a right,
but do:these communities foster safety _

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lesbian issues.

Reddy-Bradbee added, “We
have single gay residents. We welcome
gay and lesbian people on our wait list
and have had open conversations with
prospective residents about being gay
and living in a predominately heterosex-
ual community.” Het couples at Wake
Robin may share rooms, and gay and les-
bian couples would be entitled to the
same option. -

‘ When asked if resident activi-
ties are strictly hetero-centric, Reddy-
Bradbee said that dances are resident-run
and that singles attend. “Women dance
with women due to a shortage of men,
but nothing here is strictly planned for
couples only.”

Some members of Vem1ont’s
Crones group — women, mostly lesbians,
over 50 — have had conversations about
what it would be like to have a lesbian

"senior community in order to care for

each other. According to Crones founder
Alverta Perkins, these conversations hap-
pen ofien, “but nothing is actually in the
works.” Perkins noted that many times
senior members of our community don’t
have children to assist with caregiving or

 

housing arrangements, so they have to go

V it alone.

Another member of the
Crones who currently lives in subsidized
housing said that she does not feel com-
fortable being out in her housing com-
munity. “Its not something] want my
neighbors down the hall to know about
me.”

The need for safe, afibrdable,
queer-friendly senior housing will
undoubtedly raise these issues and con-
versations time and time again. Senior

V housing developers around the state are

going to have to look to the future to
develop housing communities that foster
true independence and safety for diverse
populations. The need is real and the
housing landscape of Vermont is going to
have to make some changes in order to
accommodate its queer citizens.

We’re here, we’re queer, we’ll
need a place to live! V

Kendra Henson-Stroud wrote about gtry
and lesbian-oriented senior housing out-
side Vermont in the September issue.

’ She is 30-something and lives in

Burlington.

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