When LGBT people age, their support systems often look different from others, said David Griffith, director of programs and outreach for the LGBT Elder Initiative.
“LGBT people, especially older adults in the community, statistically tend to be single and without children,” he said.
That means they look to formal systems of care or friends and neighbors for help, Griffith said. The elder initiative is hosting a program Nov. 14 to help caregivers and individuals affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia understand what strategies would work best for them.
The program, called “The Aging Mind 102: Dealing with Dementia,” takes place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, 1709 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. It’s free and open to the public.
The elder initiative offered “Aging Mind 101” in 2013. Griffith said the program became the organization’s highest-attended event that year. This year’s event goes more in-depth with the topics covered two years ago.
A local couple, Tim Kaufman and Ron Bongart, will deliver the keynote address. Kaufman, who is in his 50s, has early-onset Alzheimer’s. Bongart cares for him and helped organize the forum on the aging mind.
Griffith said the aging-mind event will feature several break-out sessions. Topics include the physical and neurological aspects of various types of dementia and how the symptoms progress, financial and legal issues like palliative care and powers of attorney, how to build support networks and access care, and social and behavioral changes that can help an affected individual and caregivers.
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top-10 leading causes of death for the baby-boomer generation, according to the nonprofit Alzheimer’s Association.
Griffith said many LGBT older adults in the Philadelphia area expressed interest in having more open conversations about it.
“We want to help people expect what they might experience as they age,” Griffith said.
About 100 people are expected to attend the aging-mind event. For more information or to register, contact the LGBT Elder Initiative at 215-720-9415 or [email protected].