US: South Florida to get first gay retirement home

PinkNews logo surrounded by illustrated images including a rainbow, unicorn, PN sign and pride flag.

South Florida is to get its first gay retirement home, Secret Garden in Wilton Manors.

Tom Duffy, a retired catering business owner, has converted an assisted living facility into the Secret Garden – the first of its kind in South Florida.

“I want it to be like a family, more like a commune, I guess,” said Mr Duffy, 61, who lives on the property and has been interviewing prospective residents in the past two weeks.

The 4,000-square-foot Secret Garden will provide shared and private rooms, meals and transportation for shopping outings and doctor appointments. Mr Duffy plans to have employ a full-time assistant, and other part-timers to do housekeeping, cook and plan activities.

Rents will range from $2,500 to $3,500 (£2,300) a month. Mr Duffy says gay men would probably find traditional senior living “too impersonal.” He said: “I’m confident people will come here.”

Chris MacLellan, co-ordinator of senior services for SunServe, an LGBT social service agency in the area of Wilton Manors, said: “Most of them don’t have family they can rely on, so they must turn to their friends and neighbors.”

“Tom is taking a risk. But I think once he gets some referrals, it will just start to roll.”

Demographers have predicted that there will be 3 million gay Americans older than age 65 by 2030.

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments