2022-03-01 Meeting

• Topic: Winter Pride Workshop Series: 2SLGBTQIA+ Senior & Elder Healthcare
• Time: Mar 1, 2022 12:00 PM Halifax
• https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83798926264
• Introduction, Land Acknowledgement, Safer Spaces Agreement – Garry Dart
• Round of Introductions (Garry will call on each speaker) – Name, Pronoun, organization and/or lived experience with the topic
• Set of Questions (Garry will call on speakers) - Each will have a 3-5 minutes to speak about the question or can pass if desired.
• Q/A with the audience – Garry will facilitate with help from Shania & Kawaina monitoring the chat
• Closing comments - Garry

Potential Questions:

• What are your top concerns about entering long term care or aging and the healthcare system?
• I.e. coming out, going back in the closet, sharing room with a partner, lack of educated providers, etc.
• What are some mental, physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual, and/or cultural health needs providers should be aware of?
• What have been some of your struggles in accessing healthcare?
• What have been some of the things you found affirming when accessing healthcare?
• What are your top two things you’d tell a healthcare professional to know/to ask?

Planning meeting 2022-02-25:

• Kawaina Gordon
• Shania Badri
• Liane Khoury
• David Divine Dalhousie.
• GarryDart

Should we record this? Yes. We’ll need permission.

On the day, panel:

• TerriCoolen. Terri has just started with NSRAP.
• LianeKhoury
• me
• Moderator: Garry
• about 50 med students

Talk

Intro to the Elderberries

• History
• Number of Members
• Activities: Social, Education, Public Speaking, Activism
• I'll make an offer: if you have questions for Q elders, if you would like speakers on the topic, and if you have a team that needs age diversity, we have a team for that.

Rant

A thing happened about a decade ago: (rant about fear of homophobia in elder care)

Survey

In October we did a quick survey. 10 responses.

The question was: As a Person Of Elderness in the 2SLGBTQ* community who will in all likelihood continue to become moreso, what message would you like to send to doctors and nurses?" Key phrases from the responses that relate to Q specific interests:

• I may not be comfortable talking about my sexuality, but it's important
• Quicker access to diagnostic services"
• "Don't make an assumption about my partner's gender.
• reverting back to before being out"
• "don't assume straightness
• distinction between str8 and gay inappropriate behaviour
• 2 x thank you
• 3 x chosen family

We see that three people mention that they want to be attended to by their chosen family; this fits with our work last year with the Canadian Virtual Hospice on their 2SLGBTQ+ documents,

• Planning for my care
  • a workbook for planning your future care needs.
  • https://www.virtualhospice.ca/2SLGBTQ/media/igkp01nf/2slgbtq-planning-for-my-care.pdf
• Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ Canadian Healthcare Bill of Rights - about twenty:
  • You have the right to treatment free from discrimination,
  • You have the right to create an advance care plan and/ or a health care directive that outlines your wishes for future care, and the right to have those wishes respected.
  • You have the right to have your gender identity and expression respected.
  • https://www.virtualhospice.ca/2SLGBTQ/media/q1yb5410/bill-of-rights.pdf

(Read some of the parts of "Planning For My Care")

Story

Tell the story about when Dr Bob retired in 2000.

• this was a time when you lots -- all, maybe -- doctors were taking patients.