ElderHelp of San Diego has been awarded $1 million over four years to launch Aging as Ourselves, the nation’s first program to provide health and social services to seniors within the GLBT community.

This innovative, community-based program creates a network among San Diego agencies that specialize in senior services and organizations that focus on serving the GLBT community. ElderHelp of San Diego will lead the program in partnership with Family Health Centers, The Center, ElderLaw and Advocacy, Seniors Active in a Gay Environment (SAGE) and PALS/LINC-age.

“By working together to ensure that services are delivered in a culturally sensitive fashion, we hope to enhance the quality of care and reduce health risks for LGBT seniors,” said Leane Marchese, executive director of ElderHelp. “LGBT seniors, like many seniors, require more frequent and intensive health care services as they age.”

Aging as Ourselves evolved from a 2003 needs assessment conducted to ascertain the health care needs of GLBT seniors in San Diego County. The study was conducted by the Alliance Healthcare Foundation with support from the California Endowment. The study found that LGBT seniors have special needs and suffer unique barriers to care.

“In 2003, an invitation was extended to the community to assist in the implementation [of the survey],” said Tom Kirkman, executive director of SAGE. “That resulted in monthly meetings at ElderHelp. As the meetings went on, the focus of implementation of the survey became more defined. We ended up with a nice, cohesive team that came up with a recommendation to implement the new Aging as Ourselves program.”

Aging as Ourselves will expand access to appropriate, GLBT-friendly health care and social services by building on each participating agency’s expertise. Services will include case management, provider education, volunteer training and services, mental health services, health education, legal assistance and GLBT senior social activities.

“We put together a program that provides over $1 million of funding to the LGBT senior community over a four-year time,” Marchese said, adding that ElderHelp continues to write grants to extend the program past the first four years. “It certainly is one of the largest pieces of funding for the community, and I think it’s poignant that it’s coming for the aging LGBT community. That definitely brings more attention to the senior community.”

Half of the money came from local funders, including the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation, the San Diego National Bank, the California Endowment, Alliance Healthcare Foundation, Price Galinson Collaborative Fund and Archstone Foundation. ElderHelp was also awarded a $500,000 matching grant by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to support Aging as Ourselves.

The San Diego program is considered a promising model by RWJF, the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care.

“Despite the demonstrated need, there are currently no well-established programs focusing on the unique health-related issues of LGBT seniors,” said David M. Pierce, executive director of the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation. “Aging as Ourselves breaks new ground in providing culturally appropriate health and social services to this population.”

The next step for Aging as Ourselves partnering organizations is to hire and train the appropriate staff to implement the program. Marchese and Kirkman are also asking for volunteers to assist in one particular project.

“SAGE is going to be heading a wonderful campaign to create a volunteer base which can help provide no-cost supportive services to LGBT seniors in their home,” Marchese said. “They are going to model it after something ElderHelp has done. We have over 200 volunteers that are in the community – doing grocery shopping, bill paying, and just friendly visiting for people who are alone a lot of the time.”

For more information about Aging as Ourselves, or to volunteer for the program, contact Marchese at (619) 284-9281 ext. 11 or e-mail lmarchese@elderhelpofsandiego.org.