Study on Long-Term Care Service Awareness, Needs, and Usage Intention of Older Adult Male Homosexuals in Taiwan and Their Ideal Long-Term Care Service Model

Abstract

As the significance of long-term care services for older adults becomes more pronounced in Taiwan, especially considering the intensifying trend of an aging population, there remains a lack of comprehensive attention to the long-term care needs and experiences of older adult individuals within the LGBTQ+ community. The present study examines the long-term care service awareness, needs, and usage intention of older adult male homosexuals in Taiwan and assesses their ideal long-term care service model. This study of five older adult male homosexual subjects aged 66 to 73 years is intended as a preliminary exploration. Interviews were used to collect data. The study determined that the five subjects displayed high awareness of long-term care services, as they possessed actual experience of these services or had even participated in care service staff training to obtain certificates. Some even had experience in applying for home care services and reported problems during use. The subjects perceived that they were very likely to require long-term care services in the future and tended to opt for home care services if they required long-term support. Due to their personal experiences, the subjects displayed negative awareness of long-term care services and expressed worry that long-term care service staff harbored poor attitudes toward homosexuals. The subjects considered the most important aspects of long-term care to be basic medical care and lifestyle care. However, they worried that long-term care staff would delay or refuse to provide such services due to the subjects’ sexual orientation or stereotypes related to it, and they were concerned above all about the “friendly attitude” of long-term care staff. They hoped that long-term care staff were friendly toward homosexuals and did not discriminate against them, feeling that it would be more appropriate for homosexual long-term care staff to provide assistance. In terms of vision, while preferring organizations with homosexual employees, the subjects worried that they would be stigmatized and discriminated against. Regarding ideal long-term care services, while considering institutions with homosexual staff to be ideal, the subjects also worried that these would be labeled as institutions that were dedicated to homosexuals, potentially resulting in discrimination. Therefore, they hoped that the sexuality sensitivity of long-term care staff could be improved and that they would undergo professional continuing education to learn about homosexuals, their situations, and care needs.