Nov 04, 2007Quickie Link: Aging Lesbians and Gays Face Extra Burdens
By vanrozenheim
(USA) - According to a recent survey on aging and the LGBT community sponsored by MetLife, 25 percent of respondents said they provided care for an adult friend or family member in the last six months. In the general population, that figure dropped to one in five. The study, conducted by Zogby International, sampled 1,000 LGBT people ages 40 to 61. The survey revealed that 36 percent of LGBT caregivers are looking out for their parents, 18 percent are seeing to their partner's needs, and 14 percent are helping friends. While fewer LGBT people may have children of their own to offer assistance when they are older, 40 percent of the respondents said members of the LGBT community helped them prepare for aging by developing greater resilience and stronger support networks.
