Aged and Health Care Service Use by Older Australians Who Identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex or Gender Diverse: A Retrospective Cohort Study

This retrospective cohort study aimed to characterize individuals who self-identify as LGBTI+ entering the long-term aged care sector in Australia and their aged and health care services utilization after an aged care eligibility assessment or entering care. About 471 individuals were identified in the three-year study period. The median age at assessment was 77 (IQR 71–84), 45% (n = 212) identified as female, and 21.9% (n = 103) had a diagnosis of dementia. Within 12 months of their aged care eligibility assessment, 29.1% (n = 137) of the participants had not accessed any aged care services. LGBTI+ adults that did access services were young with a median age of 80 (IQR 73–85) for permanent residential care and a median age of 76 (IQR 70–84) for home care packages. Following aged care eligibility assessment, 21.9% (n = 101) of the participants had accessed a chronic disease management plan, and 26.5% (n = 111) experienced unplanned hospitalization. Our findings provide insights into how LGBTI+ older adults use aged and health care services in Australia to inform policy to improve health equity, service design and positively influence outcomes for this population.