Finding a retirement home if you’re LGBT

Ageing gays and lesbians should have the choice of specialised retirement homes, according to a new association aiming to fill a gap in the market. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)

Retired gardener Sigi Strickenberger is partly paralysed. Seven years ago he discovered a gay and lesbian home care service. Having a gay nurse looking after him is important. He feels he can only really be himself in front of someone who can also relate to him.

In Zurich an association has been set up with a view to building retirement homes and apartments for LGBT people as well as to installing other services for old age. It’s generating interest, even among younger people, some of whom also hope to find a place in an LGBT home for themselves one day. 

As long as Strickenberger is healthy enough, he would like to stay at home with the aid of the gay home care service. But should the time come, he could well imagine moving to an LGBT old people’s home.

Being surrounded by people with the same interests is important. In an LGBT home, entertainment might be a drag show rather than an afternoon ballroom dancing. Plans are to have the first LGBT home up and running in five years.