What is aging like for LGBTQIA+ older adults in California?
- Elder Love USA
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
June is Pride Month, a good time to recognize the lives, experiences, and needs of LGBTQIA+ older adults.
In November 2024, researchers released the results of California’s first statewide survey of LGBTQIA+ midlife and older adults.
The survey asked LGBTQIA+ Californians age 50 and older about their health, finances, social support, safety, access to care, mental health, substance use, and service needs.
More than 4,000 people from every census region in California responded.
What they shared paints a much needed picture of aging in the LGBTQIA+ community.
These are just a few of the key findings from the report. You can read the full report here.
Physical, Mental, and Cognitive Health
About a quarter of respondents, 23%, rated their physical health as fair or poor. The report also found that 17% of respondents were people living with HIV.
Physical health is often connected to many other parts of aging.
When someone is managing chronic illness, pain, mobility changes, medication needs, or HIV-related care, it can affect their independence, their ability to work, their social life, and the kind of support they may need at home.
The survey also looked at cognitive health. 15% of respondents reported worsening confusion or memory loss. The report notes that this number may actually be an undercount because the survey was completed online.
Mental health was another important part of the findings. When asked to rate their overall mental health, 80% of respondents rated their mental health as good to excellent. One in five (20%) rated their mental health as fair or poor. More than one in ten, 11%, reported serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. Almost a quarter, 24%, had symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder.
Financial Security and Social Support
Among respondents, 74% reported they were financially secure, 19% reported they were financially insecure, and 7% reported they might be financially insecure.
This is important because financial insecurity can affect almost every part of aging. It can influence whether someone can afford stable housing, nutritious food, transportation, medical care, dental care, medication, or help at home.
Social Connection and Support
The survey also found that social connection was a concern for many LGBTQIA+ older adults.
While most respondents (72%) reported good, very good, and excellent satisfaction with social activities and relationships, over a quarter (28%) reported their satisfaction with social activities and relationships was fair or poor. About one in eight respondents, 13%, said they rarely or never received the emotional and social support they needed. 7% said they had no one to turn to for support.
Social support is not just about having someone to talk to. It can affect whether an older adult has help after a hospital stay, transportation to appointments, someone to notice changes in health, or someone to call during an emergency.
Signs of Resilience
While the report highlights serious challenges, it also shows signs of resilience among LGBTQIA+ older adults in California.
Most respondents, 86%, rated their quality of life as good to excellent.
Access to health care was also a strong point in the report.
Ninety-nine percent of respondents reported living within 25 miles of a hospital, and 98% had health insurance or a health coverage plan.
And as previously stated, although some respondents reported isolation or limited support, most (72%) rated their satisfaction with social activities and relationships as good, very good, or excellent.
This report gives communities, leaders, and organizations a lot to learn from. It shows where LGBTQIA+ older adults need more support, where services and systems can improve, and where there are already strengths worth protecting and building on.
But most importantly, the report shines a light on LGBTQIA+ older adults themselves. It shows that their experiences matter, their needs deserve attention, and their stories should be included in the way we plan for aging in California.
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