St. John’s Supports LGBTQ+ Caregivers as part of Pride Month

According to the National Resource on LGBTQ+ Aging, LGBT caregivers make up 9% of the 34.2 million Americans caring for adults over age 50, which is an estimated 3 million people. St. John’s was proud to be a sponsor of the recent “Caregiving with Pride” Conference hosted by Lifespan of Greater Rochester in honor of Pride Month. The conference was part of an on-going effort to provide valuable education and resources to members of the LGBTQ+ community here in Rochester who support older adult loved ones.

Held on Wednesday, June 13 at Glendoveer’s, the event was also sponsored by Rainbow Seniors ROC, Trillium Health, Alzheimer’s Association, and AARP. Among the topics covered were LGBTQ+ History and the Unique Needs of Caregiving for the Queer Community, Compassion Fatigue, LGBTQ+ Terms and Language, and perspectives provided by a panel of caregivers and providers.

Jeannie Gainsburg, founder of Savvy Ally Action and author of the book “The Savvy Ally: A Guide for becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate,” provided the  keynote. According to Gainsburg’s web site, 100% of the royalties from the first year of sales of the book have been donated to nonprofit organizations working to build a safer and more inclusive world for LGBTQ+ people.