Cultural Competency Training for LGBT Older Adults Patients

Among the agencies that have made a substantial effort toward competency is the Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, in Lexington, Kentucky. Serving nearly 4,800 long-term care residents in nursing homes, family and personal care homes across 17 counties in Kentucky's Bluegrass region, the NHOA was created to provide advocacy services to elders using the Administration on Aging's Long-Term Care Ombudsman program as the authorizing framework and model. Ombudsmen (who are paid staff ) were recruited from each nursing home's neighborhood to visit with residents and monitor the quality of care received. These ombudsmen are specially trained and certified by the state long-term-care ombudsman. When Troy Johnson, the NHOA's director of services and programs, realized the issues involved in serving LGBT older adults were not being addressed with any regularity, he knew that his agency's staff and volunteers needed LGBT cultural competency training. He contacted the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging to set up training for the NHOA and non-medical home health staffs with the Bluegrass Area Agency on Aging. The training is typically offered free of charge, but in this case, the Resource Center's closest certified trainer, Sherrill Wayland, was based 350 miles away. Johnson found a grant to secure her travel expenses so that the two-day training for staff, executives and volunteers could go forward. Post-session feedback from trainees was overwhelmingly positive. As Johnson noted, 'Many of our staff members are interested in attending follow-up trainings on LGBT history, struggles and triumphs. While many staff members could not specifically identify a case directly related to sexual identity, or gender identity, the majority said they felt better prepared to handle such complaints when they arise. The overall attitude of the ombudsmen regarding LGBT residents was already positive in that ombudsmen are trained to treat all residents with equality; however, this training allowed us to begin a conversation about how societal oppression can have lifelong consequences regarding mental and physical health.