The nursing home would cater specifically for older LGBT people
Elderly gays and lesbians in Stockholm may soon be able to live in a special gay-friendly nursing home.
English-language newspaper The Local reports that a recent city decision to privatise nursing home care may help the planned Regnbågen (‘Rainbow’) nursing home along.
Project leader Christer Fällman told the newspaper: “What we want to avoid is the situation which sometimes occurs today where a guy doesn’t dare to tell nursing home staff that it’s his boyfriend of however many years who is coming for a visit.
He said the idea had support from the city but had so far been unable to progress due to the economic downturn.
“The privatisation of nursing homes actually made it easier to move things forward because you have a profit-driven company involved which sees the market potential.”
Fällman stressed that while the nursing home would be gay-friendly, it would be open to anyone. “We don’t want this to be seen as a move back into the closet,” he said.
“There are already nursing homes for Finnish speakers, and soon we will also have them for Turkish, Greek, and Spanish speakers.
“We’re looking to create a nursing home where LGBT people can ‘speak their own language’ and feel secure in who they are.”
Fällman is currently working with nursing home companies to determine the level of interest among elderly LGBT people and hopes the home will open within two years.
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