Pride LTC Insurance Services Announces New Series About Caregiving in the Gay Community.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Los Angeles, California, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) November 15, 2010 -- Beginning in December, 2010, Pride LTC Insurance Services will debut Caregiving in the Gay Community as an ongoing series of stories about caregivers, those who need long-term care, and the effects of caregiving on the gay community. These articles will be available on www.PrideLTCis.com


Acts of kindness that shaped a generation

The AIDS crisis had a profound impact on the lives of gay men and women and saw a community come together to address a daunting challenge. One of those tasks was the development of programs to provide care for a population that did not have access to the same services and support networks of their heterosexual counter-parts. Buddy programs, meal delivery, in-home long-term care volunteers were just a few of the caregiving services developed in quick order. These simple acts of kindness have come to define an entire generation of gay men and women. Through this struggle we find stories of hope, compassion, heartbreak, and triumph.

However, there is a new crisis looming on the horizon that is rarely spoken about in the gay community yet many members currently find themselves already struggling with. It's the growing need for providing long-term care. As the population ages it has become more and more apparent that the community’s need for caregiving has come to encompass much more than the AIDS crisis. It is the need for long-term care, caregivers, and services that provide support that is the gay community’s next big challenge.

Like the rest of the country, the gay community shares the same burden of providing adult care for a growing population of aging citizens, but with fundamental differences. Gay men and women meeting these challenges are more likely to lack family support networks, financial stability past retirement, face laws regarding estate and partnership that are unequal to their counterparts, and harbor fears of discrimination and reprisal in places such as nursing homes that keep them from seeking assistance.

On the whole, Americans are ill prepared for the realities of long-term care. More and more people are finding themselves shouldering the responsibility of caring for a family member, friend, or neighbor - and the gay community is no exception.


Gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people (LGBT) take care of their own in a manner that outpaces the heterosexual community.

According to a study by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute nearly half of all LGBT individuals over the age of 50 are heavily involved in caregiving. They do so for a family member, a partner, or a close friend. In fact it turns out that members of the gay community are more likely to be a caregiver than the rest of the general populations. That means gay men and women take on a larger percent of the national burden when it comes to providing much needed care during the most vulnerable times in a persons life, and they do so largely unrecognized.


There are heroes in the gay community, unfortunately many go unsung and their stories go unheard.

At Pride LTC Insurance Services we believe that the gay community is full of heroes who make a difference each and every day. There are many stories that chronicle the heartbreak, emotional drama, and devastation that an unplanned long-term care event can have on family and friends. There are also many stories of hope, selflessness, and the power of human kindness. We believe that everyone deserves dignity, especially during our most vulnerable times.

It is well past the time for stories from all sides of the caregiving spectrum to be heard. Pride LTC Insurance Services invites you to follow along as we bring you our series, Caregiving in the Gay Community. You can click on our rss feed or join our mailing list to receive updates by visiting www.PrideLTCis.com


For more information about Pride LTC Insurance Services please visit www.PrideLTCis.com


Media Contact:

Colton Stenke

Ph: 818-635-3626
E: colton@PrideLTCis.com

16542 Ventura Blvd, #210
Encino, CA 91436

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