A specialized AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) “Prepare to Care” workshop designed for LGBTQ+ seniors and their caregivers will take place Thursday, Feb. 27, at Washington Park Community House, at 700 E. Washington Blvd. in Pasadena.
The free 90-minute event, running from 2 to 3:30 p.m., aims to connect caregivers and provide resources for a population that often experiences gaps in traditional support systems.
“The caregivers have challenges dealing with the LGBTQ+ community because I believe often the LGBTQ+ community don’t have children or aren’t close to their families,” said Bruce Christensen, a member and volunteer at Pasadena Village. “And so caregiving for people who are somewhat disconnected from their families is an additional challenge.”
The workshop represents a critical resource for LGBTQ+ seniors, who may lack the traditional family structures that many heterosexual seniors rely on for care as they age.
Christensen expressed personal concerns that reflect the broader LGBTQ+ community’s worries about growing older without nearby family support networks.
“As a gay man, I have some family that I’m close to, but they don’t live anywhere near me,” Christensen said. “They don’t live in California, and as I age, my concern is how do I arrange for care and how do I arrange for support.”
Beyond limited family networks, LGBTQ+ seniors may face additional barriers when seeking caregiver support, including potential discrimination based on caregivers’ personal beliefs.
“The other challenge is – depending on the area of the country, the political and religious beliefs of caregivers – there’s always the risk of having less supportive care because of how the LGBTQ+ people are viewed by their caregivers,” Christensen explained.
These concerns can be particularly acute in areas with more conservative social attitudes, Christensen said.
“In more conservative states, I believe you have more problems with the belief system of the caregivers,” he said. “I would be concerned about a caregiver feeling either justified or righteous or being unkind to members of the LGBTQ+ plus community, because that’s the way they were raised.”
The workshop is part of the AARP’s broader “Prepare to Care” program, which helps family caregivers navigate logistical, emotional and financial aspects of caregiving throughout Los Angeles County. Pasadena Village is hosting it as part of its mission to create supportive communities for seniors through peer-led initiatives and inclusive programming.
“Pasadena Village’s broader objectives are to bring together people who are seniors, and we help each other age better,” Christensen said. “It’s making friends and community. And once friendships are made, we offer support with rides to doctors, social activities, dinner groups, special interest groups.”
Within this broader community, Pasadena Village has established a specialized group for its LGBTQ+ members to address their specific concerns about aging.
“As part of the Pasadena Village, we have about a dozen members who are openly LGBTQ+ plus,” said Christensen. “We have our own subgroup. We call ourselves the Village People after the musical group from the 70’s, and we get together once a month for lunch, and we talk about the issues of aging as older LGBTQ+ plus people.”
Pasadena Village has implemented several initiatives focused on LGBTQ+ inclusivity, including staff training, participation in regional Pride events, and partnerships with organizations like Connect 2 Rise and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
The AARP workshop continues this tradition of providing targeted educational programming that addresses disparities in healthcare and support services for LGBTQ+ seniors. The event is open to the public as a walk-in event.
For more information and to register, visit https://pasadena.
