A joint effort between SAGE and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is resulting in the creation of the “Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI)”, which is intended to measure how well senior living communities address concerns of their LGBTQ residents through policies and procedures, staff training and other measures.

The “index” itself appears to be a combination of a pledge that residential long-term care communities sign and then utilize an assessment tool that will encourage and help them to adopt policies and best practices that provide culturally competent and responsive care to LGBT older adults.  Beyond the assessment, the organizations behind the LEI will provide resources and technical assistance to bring these policies and practices to life.

Residential Long-Term Care Facilities that would like to participate in the LEI are encouraged to sign the Commitment to Caring Pledge, which, they explain, “is the first step in the Long-Term Care Equality Index.”  Residential Long-Term Care facilities are invited to sign the pledge as an indication of their intention to adopt the LGBT inclusive policies and practices necessary to provide culturally competent and responsive care to LGBT older adults.

More information on the LEI and concerns of LGBTQ seniors can be found here:  https://www.sageusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sage-lei-final-digital.pdf and here: https://thelei.org/.