Final answer:
Aging members of the LGBTQ community are particularly vulnerable to discrimination due to heterosexism in long-term care facilities where they often feel compelled to hide their sexual orientation to avoid discrimination.
Step-by-step explanation:
Aging members of the LGBTQ community experience discrimination due to heterosexism in various care settings. The long-term care facilities. It is in these settings that members of the LGBTQ community, such as a seventy-eight-year-old lesbian woman mentioned in a case study, feel they must selectively disclose their sexual identity due to fears of not being accepted or possibly facing discrimination.
Evidence shows that only a small percentage of LGBTQ older adults feel they could be open about their sexual orientation in long-term care facilities. Moreover, they often face higher rates of disability and depression with less social support compared to heterosexual peers. The heterosexism present in institutional practices can lead to a systematic disadvantage for LGBTQ individuals in these settings, affecting their health and wellbeing.
Despite progress in LGBTQ rights and civil protections, these experiences highlight the ongoing challenges related to heterosexism, disclosure management, and the need for improved policies within healthcare and long-term care environments meant to support elderly LGBTQ individuals.