The graying of the US population draws increasing focus to historically unattended segments of society, including sexual and gender minorities. This title addresses the challenges of aging in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex populations. It presents what is known about aging GLBT individuals.

This volume fills a unique gap. Gerontologists seldom focus on special concerns of gay and lesbian older adults, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging organizations rarely address issues of aging, and the mental health field has demonstrated an ability to marginalize both aging and homosexuality. This book lays out the state of knowledge with respect to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging—physical health, sexuality, family ties, victimization, and legal and financial concerns. The references at the end of individual chapters and the bibliographical material at the end of the book provide an invaluable resource. For any gerontologist intrigued by the interplay of historical changes and individual aging, it is difficult to imagine a more powerful example than Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Aging. Evolution of attitudes toward homosexuality, the emergence of HIV/AIDS, and legal protections beginning to be afforded to same-sex relationships are all part of the changing world that has shaped and been shaped by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who are now old.

This edited collection emphasizes the role of social work practice and research related to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) aging. It highlights LGBT aging from a gerontological social work perspective by incorporating key values of the profession such as cultural competence, dignity, strengths, and resilience of the population while it offers an important contribution to the body of knowledge to the interdisciplinary field of aging. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.

This three-volume set is a rich resource for readers in any discipline interested in understanding the global, regional, and domestic experiences of LGB people. This interdisciplinary set makes a vital contribution to understanding how LGB rights are progressing—and in some cases, regressing—around the globe. The three volumes look at the lived experiences of LGB people from varied perspectives and provide comprehensive coverage on a wide variety of topics ranging from LGB youth and LGB aging to the approaches to LGB people of different religions, including Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Chapters focus on topics including the ongoing criminalization of same-sex sexual conduct and how international human rights law can be used to improve the lives of LGB people. Particular attention is paid to the rights of bisexuals, a group often ignored in works focusing on sexual orientation. Volume 1 focuses on history, politics, and culture relating to LGB people; Volume 2 focuses on the laws—domestic and international—governing LGB people; and Volume 3 provides snapshots of the current state of LGB experience in countries worldwide, presented by geographical region: Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific region.

The study of LGBT aging is in its infancy. In the absence of federal data on this often hidden population, community groups and organizations from across the country have taken it upon themselves to understand and assess the needs of this first cohort to reach later life in a time of LGBT public consciousness. Eight papers are included in this compilation: three from the east coast (Boston, New York, and Washington, DC), four from the Midwest (Chicago, Bowling Green and surrounding areas, St. Louis, and the twin cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul), and one from the west coast (Palm Springs area). Together, these reports provide a community-based and regionally nuanced image of the strengths of, and the challenges faced by, older LGBT persons—local snapshots that together form a partial tapestry of LGBT aging in the U.S. They also serve as a source of lessons learned in the field—efforts that may be seen to parallel those undertaken by LGBT communities, then forming, during the 1980s and 1990s to address the growing health crisis of HIV/AIDS, a time when formal responses were slow and treatments still being developed. As such, the voice of the communities represented herein—the voices of these older adults—is clear, strong and apparent. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Homosexuality.

This groundbreaking collection is the first to focus specifically on LGBT* people and dementia. It brings together original chapters from leading academics, practitioners and LGBT* individuals affected by dementia. Multi-disciplinary and international in scope, it includes authors from the UK, USA, Canada and Australia and from a range of fields, including sociology, social work, psychology, health care and socio-legal studies. Taking an intersectional approach – i.e. considering the plurality of experiences and the multiple, interacting relational positions of everyday life – LGBT Individuals Living with Dementia addresses topics relating to concepts, practice and rights. Part One addresses theoretical and conceptual questions; Part Two discusses practical concerns in the delivery of health and social care provision to LGBT* people living with dementia; and Part Three explores socio-legal issues relating to LGBT* people living with dementia. This collection will appeal to policy makers, commissioners, practitioners, academics and students across a range of disciplines. With an ageing and increasingly diverse population, and growing numbers of people affected by dementia, this book will become essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the needs of, and providing appropriate services to, LGBT* people affected by dementia.

This SAGE Handbook integrates basic research on social dimensions of aging. It presents programmatic applications of research in areas not often seen in Handbooks including imprisonment, technology and aging, urban society aged, and elderly migration. The authors constitute a Who′s Who of international gerontology, and the focus on globalization and aging is unique among Handbooks today. This Handbook should be in the library of every social gerontologist. - Vern L. Bengtson, Professor of Gerontology, University of Southern California This volume reflects the emergence of ageing as a global concern, including chapters by international scholars from Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. It provides a comprehensive overview of key trends and issues in the field, drawing upon the full range of social science disciplines. The Handbook is organized into five parts, each exploring different aspects of research into social aspects of ageing: Disciplinary overviews: summaries of findings from key disciplinary areas within social gerontology. Social relationships and social differences: explores area like social inequality, gender, religion, inter-generational ties, social networks, and friendships. Individual characteristics and change in later life: examines different aspects of individual aging, including self and identity, cognitive processes, and bio-social interactions and their impact on physical and psychological aging. Comparative perspectives and cultural innovations: topics include ageing and development, ageing in a global context, migration, and cross-cultural perspectives on grandparenthood. Policy issues: covering policy concerns such aslong-term care, technology and older people, end of life issues, work and retirement, and the politics of old age. This will be essential reading for all students, researchers and policy-makers concerned with the major issues influencing the lives of older people across the globe.

The Handbook of Social Work in Health and Aging is the first reference to combine the fields of health care, aging, and social work in a single, authoritative volume. These areas are too often treated as discrete entities, while the reality is that all social workers deal with issues in health and aging on a daily basis, regardless of practice specialization. As the baby boomers age, the impact on practice in health and aging will be dramatic, and social workers need more specialized knowledge about aging, health care, and the resources available to best serve older adults and their families. The volume's 102 original chapters and 13 overviews, written by the most experienced and prominent gerontological health care scholars in the United States and across the world, provide social work practitioners and educators with up-to-date knowledge of evidence-based practice guidelines for effectively assessing and treating older adults and their families; new models for intervention in both community-based practice and institutional care; and knowledge of significant policy and research issues in health and aging. A truly monumental resource, this handbook represents the best research on health and aging available to social workers today.

This far-reaching and contemporary new Encyclopedia examines and explores the lives and experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals, focusing on the contexts and forces that shape their lives. The work focuses on LGBTQ issues and identity primarily through the lenses of psychology, human development and sociology, emphasizing queer, feminist and ecological perspectives on the topic, and addresses questions such as: · What are the key theories used to understand variations in sexual orientation and gender identity? · How do Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) affect LGBTQ youth? · How do LGBTQ people experience the transition to parenthood? · How does sexual orientation intersect with other key social locations, such as race, to shape experience and identity? · What are the effects of marriage equality on sexual minority individuals and couples? Top researchers and clinicians contribute to the 400 signed entries, from fields such as: · Psychology · Human Development · Gender/Queer Studies · Sexuality Studies · Social Work · Sociology The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies is an essential resource for researchers interested in an interdisciplinary perspective on LGBTQ lives and issues.

Critical strategies for confronting a dire, yet under-addressed societal epidemic—the risky and potentially deadly consequences for older adults living a socially isolated life, are the focus for this book. By documenting our current understanding of the complex and multi-dimensional nature of social isolation among elders, the authors highlight innovative and alternative forms of community and later-life relationships that can serve to forestall or prevent social isolation and loneliness. With contributions from recognized scholars, clinicians, and elder-policy activists, as well as from multiple practice perspectives (direct service providers, administrators, researchers, and educators) the book documents the interrelated issues of social relationships and health in late life. It describes creative programs and intervention techniques that help maintain the integrity of an older adult’s individual, group, and community relations, communication pathways, and a sense of belonging. The book also illuminates multidisciplinary and integrated best practices for minimizing the risk of late life social isolation. Case studies showcase the issues that arise in clinical practice and service delivery and demonstrate proven methods for effectively addressing them. Key Features: Delivers best-practice strategies and interventions for bolstering older adult social health and community engagement Written by top scholars in the gerontology community Explores the life-threatening risks and consequences of social isolation for older adults and their families Describes the wide range of social relationships that can determine the extent to which older adults will be at risk of becoming socially isolated Considers the role that older adult diversity and difference plays in determining quality of life and the integrity of relationships Highlights physical, behavioral, environmental, social, and economic forces that can influence the quality of late life relationships