LGBT health conference
The first Ohio conference focusing on issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults will be held Feb. 11 and 12 at the Sinclair College Conference Center in Dayton. The Miami Valley LGBT Horizons of Aging Summit has been planned by a coalition of community organizations, led by Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, United Church Homes’ Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging and Rainbow Elder Care of Greater Dayton.
The event will explore issues LGBT older adults face and their journey for equality and dignity. Through keynote addresses and 18 breakouts sessions, participants will learn to recognize and remove barriers to quality health care and other services. These are critical services for older adults and sometimes out of reach for the underserved LGBT community. The Summit will offer two days of education, affirmation and celebration of LGBT people, primarily age 50 and older.
The conference will feature a screening of the film “Gen Silent” and discussions with its producer Stu Maddox. The film chronicles the challenges of older LGBT individuals seeking help and support as they age. Other prominent speakers include Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey, national leader of LGBT initiatives for AARP, and Dr. Jason Flatt, from University of California San Francisco, who recently released the first major research on dementia in the LGBT community.
Local academic professionals and LGBT aging specialists will offer 18 different breakout sessions covering health care and social justice issues for LGBT older adults on topics including: culturally competent LGBT care/ service, affordable senior living, transgender aging, Social Security issues you need to know, the latest state and national legal landscape, hospice care for LGBT individuals, intergenerational panel discussions and more. Dayton’s own Rubi Girls social justice drag troupe and the Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus also will make appearances at the Summit.
The conference is open to professionals such as social workers and nurses, and also to the LGBT community and college students who can attend both days for as little as $20 per day including breakfast and lunch. For professionals who want continuing education credits (CEUs), admission price to attend both days is $150, which includes breakfast and lunch. Single-day registration is $75 per day. As many as nine CEU social work or nursing credits are available for professionals who attend both days. To register, visit the Summit registration site at: www.horizons-lgbt. eventbrite.com. For more information about the Summit, visit www. abundantaging.org.