Βuilding the capacities of service providers in elder residential care on how to provide a more inclusive service provision for Older LBGTQI+ users

In 2016, WHO developed the "Global Strategy and Action Plan on Ageing and Health" plan. It recommends transforming healthcare systems for affordable access to quality services for older people. Indeed, every country must have a system that enables older people to live with dignity and enjoy their rights, including as LGBTQI+ people. Around 10% of residents in institutions for the elderly are LGBTQI+, but managers often say they don't have any. LGBTQI+ seniors face a high risk of discrimination in retirement homes and may feel compelled to hide their identity. Very few care services are adapted to their needs. The project partners wanted to solve these problems while taking into account national contexts. Their complementarity has enabled them to create innovative solutions, training and tools, adapted to different situations. The project follows on from Best4OlderLGBTI, which raised awareness of the sexuality of LGBTI seniors. BestCare4LGBTQI+ helps professionals to make services inclusive. The consortium has complementary experience and a broad network to reach the target group and improve the quality of life of LGBTQI+ seniors.

The mission of the BestCare4LGBTQI+ project is to create LGBTQI+-friendly care services for the elderly. The project provides tools and resources for homecare and institutional staff. It aims to raise their awareness on the needs of this population and equip them to better integrate them into society. The project also helps these services to assess their inclusivity, highlight existing good practice and become more LGBTQI+-friendly in the future. The aim is to make care services safe and welcoming places for LGBTQI+ people, where they can freely and safely express their identity. BestCare4LGBTQI+ has a long-term impact by training professionals and helping LGBTQI+ seniors. Project outputs include testimonials, a training manual, an e-learning platform, a database and an inclusivity badge. The project has reached a diverse audience, mainly healthcare professionals, supported people, families and LGBTQI+ associations. It encourages good practice and creates a European community of practice on this little-addressed subject.

The BestCare4LGBTQI+ project has five main Project Results: - PR 1: "Make me feel at home" This multilingual booklet contains 49 testimonials from LGBTQI+ seniors and professionals and is available in six languages (EN, FR, GR, IT, PT, RO). It aims to understand the needs and expectations of LGBTQI+ residents and professionals wishing to create inclusive living spaces. - PR 2: Training for inclusive care services A training manual and a toolkit have been created to meet the training needs of care service staff. The training covers human rights, inclusion, discrimination, equality, gender identities, sexual orientations, harassment and inclusive language. 104 professionals were trained. - PR 3: Train the trainers 88 ambassadors were trained to replicate and disseminate the training. - PR 4: Badge of excellence in inclusive care A framework of inclusive practices and quality standards has been developed to help professionals implement inclusive strategies. - PR 5: Database on inclusive care A multilingual public database provides practices, experiences and resources on inclusive care. It incorporates a toolbox of resources developed as part of PR2 to aid training and awareness-raising.

Concrete achievements of the BestCare4LGBTQI+ project include : - 1 multilingual booklet with 49 testimonials from the 5 countries in the consortium (FR, GR, IT, PT, RO) - 1 training manual with 5 modules - 5 training reports: one for each consortium member country, based on pilot training courses delivered to 104 people - 1 toolbox to accompany training for more inclusive care services, with 12 tools - 1 complete train-the-trainer course with 5 modules, accessible via e-learning - 1 trainer's guide - 5 train-the-trainer reports: one for each country, based on pilot training courses delivered to 88 people - 1 transferable methodology for awarding a label of excellence to healthcare services - 5 questionnaires for awarding the badge - 5 training reports to test the badge methodology - 1 public database of best practices in inclusive care - 5 multiplier events involving 119 participants - 1 final evaluation report - 1 quality plan and reports - 1 dissemination plan and reports - 1 project website: https://www.bestcare4lgbtqi.org/ - 3 newsletters - 1 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Bestcare4LGBTQI - 1 Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/82592558 - 1 project Twitter account: https://twitter.com/BestLgbtqi