We have been asked on many occasions why we think there’s a need for LGBT care.
At Alternative Care Services we believe it’s about creating safe and respectful spaces for older LGBTQI+ people, especially when they’re at home.
The need for (and lack of) safe spaces for the older LGBT generation is an issue that has been discussed by many organisations for many years.
In fact, there have been multiple studies (Marie Curie Hiding Who I Am being one) that have revealed that senior LGBTQI people live in fear of discrimination when receiving care.
Another report, conducted by Stonewall (Unhealthy Attitudes 2015) shows that a large proportion of healthcare staff are not confidently equipped with the necessary skills to provide thorough care for LGBT people, elderly or otherwise.
We believe that traditional models of care in Britain are letting down the older generation of LGBTQI+ people, and this is where we are taking a stand.
What Alternative Care Services does:
At Alternative Care Services we offer the very best, non-discriminatory care and support for all of our service users.
We employ staff from the LGBTQI+ community, in fact 90 percent of our staff identify as LGBTQI+.
That’s important as we believe that they are more likely to be able to respond to the specific care needs of an older generation of LGBTQI+ people.
We also make sure they are fully equipped to meet all needs of all our clients. Ultimately, we’ve employed people from the community to serve their community.
The Alternative Care Services teamWe believe there are fundamental issues within a care system that simply doesn’t acknowledge the existence of the LGBT community.
This ‘invisibility’ happens at the outset of the care process as all the referral forms are heteronormative, so social services doesn’t even know how to offer LGBT-focused services. There is no way of offering it.
What can be done to end the discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community?
We think there needs to be a change within the care system at large to futureproof the services for younger generations.
In an ideal world, everyone would live together in harmony, there would be no phobias, discrimination or bias.
Why choose LGBTQI+ care?
This may one day be a reality, but until then, Alternative Care Services will provide the very best personally-centered care and support to all with kindness, dignity, respect and understanding, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI).
Our aim is to enable all to live satisfying; independent lives while maintaining values and identities.
Providing exceptional care to the LGBTQI+ community is what we do, because you’re not an afterthought, you’re our first thought.
Here’s a list of our full unique services and all of our costs are transparent.
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