PRESS RELEASE
Department Of Aging Hosts 621 Attendees During Its Virtual LGBTQ Aging Summit And Institute On HIV
Harrisburg, PA - October 12, 2022 – The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today announced that 621 participants from 27 states and Washington D.C. in the continental U.S., and St. Croix, Guam, and parts of Canada, attended its virtual LGBTQ Aging Summit and Institute on HIV and Aging on October 6 and October 7.
The summit provided the department and the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs with the opportunity to continue working on issues raised by community advocates, Area Agencies on Aging staff, providers, and other stakeholders since the last summit convened in 2018. This year's summit delivered information on supports and resources for LGBTQ older adults and how advocates, aging service providers, and allies can support and lift up LGBTQ communities.
"At the time of the department's 2018 summit, we were new to many of the endeavors we believed would help make our aging services network more culturally sensitive and inclusive of LGBTQ communities. During this year's event, some of the participants may have been taking their first steps, in their own communities or states, to ensure aging services reach individuals who may be hesitant to seek them out. This summit provided a wealth of information and contacts that I hope will translate into meaningful progress for the participants," said Secretary of Aging Robert Torres.
Day one of the virtual summit featured keynote speaker Michael Adams, CEO of SAGE (Advocacy and Services for LGBTQ+ Elders), an overview of the Pennsylvania LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment results, a panel discussion on elder equity, and working sessions with two separate tracks that concentrated on supporting LGBTQ older adults and on community issues. The second day focused on HIV and Aging and included a panel of older adults living with and long-term survivors of HIV who courageously shared their lived experiences with the healthcare system, medications, stigma, and their communities. Additional sessions included research trends in HIV and aging and the legal landscape of HIV in the commonwealth.
"I was honored to participate in this year's LGBTQ Aging Summit as we work together to ensure that our community's elders in Pennsylvania have the support and opportunities they deserve and need to age successfully. I have been most impressed by the passion of the advocacy and dedication of the Aging Workgroup within the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs. It serves as a model to emulate all the great work being done in Pennsylvania," said Michael Adams.
"We must all become better allies of LGBTQ+ older adults and interact as a community. Instead of standing on the shoulders of our elders, we need to be inclusive and stand together, seeing older adults as an example of those before us who fought to be who they are, and to advocate and support one another," said Rafael Alvarez Febo, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs. "Thank you to Governor Tom Wolf for showing leadership and serving as an ally to ensure that we have an inclusive commonwealth."
The department partnered with the following organizations to plan this year's summit: The Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, Pennsylvania Department of Health's Office of Health Equity, the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging, SAGE, AARP Pennsylvania, CARIE, LeadingAge PA, Trans Advocacy Pennsylvania, Alzheimer's Association of Pennsylvania, the Elder Initiative at William Way LGBT Community Center, Persad Center, LGBT Center of Central PA, LGBT Center of Greater Reading, Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, SEIU, Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, Montgomery County Office of Senior Services, Southwestern PA Area Agency on Aging, and Union-Snyder Area Agency on Aging.
In addition to convening the inaugural LGBTQ Aging Summit in 2018, the Department of Aging has completed several projects and goals to support and benefit LGBTQ older adults. In 2019, the department achieved SAGECare Platinum Certification for LGBT Culture competency, becoming the first State Unit on Aging to attain this certification from SAGE – the largest advocacy organization in the national for LGBTQ older adults. The department hosted a town hall with LGBTQ community for input and recommendations for developing a new four-year State Plan on Aging.
In 2021, the department issued a directive that designated LGBTQ older adults as a community of greatest social need, which requires targeted outreach and programming to ensure equity of services to the LGBTQ older adult community. Other efforts of note include the collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data to help guide planning, programming, and outreach to ensure aging services are inclusive and responsive, as well as launching the HIV/AIDS education and resource page for older adults on the department's website. In 2022, the LGBT Elder Initiative at William Way in Philadelphia honored the department with its Founders' Award for LGBTQ Health Equity for its efforts to support LGBTQ older adults.
Learn more about the programs and services offered by the Department of Aging by visiting the department's website and on the department's Facebook page Opens In A New Window.
Source: https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/aging_details.aspx?newsid=373
Jack Eilber (he/him/his) | Deputy Communications Director
Pennsylvania Department of Aging
555 Walnut St. 5th Floor | Harrisburg, PA 17101
www.aging.pa.gov
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Pennsylvania Department of Aging
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