Living with Pride and Memory Loss

An estimated 2.7 million adults over the age of 50 in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ+—a group that faces unique health and social challenges as they age. Among them, about 7.4% are living with dementia, and for many, navigating life with memory loss is made more complex by decades of discrimination, health disparities, and limited support networks.

Living with dementia is difficult enough. But when paired with the lifelong effects of stigma and marginalization, LGBTQ+ older adults face a compounded set of challenges.

Health Disparities That Increase Dementia Risk LGBTQ+ individuals are disproportionately affected by a range of health conditions that are linked to a higher risk of developing dementia. These include:

• Increased rates of depression
  

• Higher obesity rates among lesbian women
  

• Elevated alcohol and tobacco use 
  

• Lower rates of preventive health screenings, such as pap smears, mammograms, and prostate exams
  

• Higher rates of cardiovascular disease among lesbians
  

• Greater incidence of HIV/AIDS among gay and bisexual men
  

This highlights the importance of encouraging LGBTQ+ older adults to make healthy lifestyle changes and access preventive healthcare services. It also underscores the need for community programs specifically designed to support LGBTQ+ communities as they age.

The High Cost of Care

Medications, personal care supplies, home health aides—it all adds up. For someone needing 40 hours of home care per week, the cost could easily top $1,300 weekly. For many LGBTQ+ older adults, these costs hit especially hard. Same-sex older couples typically have 37% less in retirement savings compared to heterosexual married couples.

In one national survey, 42% of LGBTQ+ older adults said they were very or extremely worried about outliving their savings, compared to just 25% of non-LGBTQ+ respondents. Nearly half said they expected to keep working well past retirement age simply to stay afloat.

All of this points to a deeper issue: LGBTQ+ older adults may have an even greater need for affordable care options, social support, and community-based services that can help them age with dignity.

Loneliness and Social Isolation

For LGBTQ+ older adults, loneliness is more than a feeling—it’s a health risk.

According to AARP, nearly 80% worry about not having enough social support as they age. One in three LGBTQ+ older adults say they’re very worried about growing old alone, compared to just one in five of their non-LGBTQ+ peers.

And when dementia enters the picture, that isolation deepens. People with memory loss often withdraw from friends, community events, and even volunteer work. Those living alone are more likely to forget to eat, skip medications, or wander—putting them at real risk of injury.

What Can Be Done

Change starts with understanding. Organizations, care providers, and people in the community can take a meaningful first step by learning about the unique experiences and challenges LGBTQ+ older adults face when living with dementia. Healthcare providers, community groups, senior centers, and LGBTQ+ organizations can also work together to create safer, more inclusive spaces for aging adults. When services are designed with input from the communities they aim to serve, everyone benefits. Even something as simple as inclusive language in advertising and outreach materials can make a difference. Seeing themselves represented tells LGBTQ+ older adults, “You belong here”—and that message matters.

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Sources: https://www.alz.org/getmedia/98c443bc-b115-4ffe-a4a5-7570b7d1ec8c/2021-lgbtq-issues-brief.pdf https://www.alz.org/getmedia/72c5d5eb-de7a-4f04-94ba-17a2145ec1cb/lgbt_older_adults_dementia_infographic.pdf