ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies a discourse of community cohesion running throughout older adults' accounts of preferred future care while pointing to nuanced differences in preferences across gender and sexual identity. It explores some of the assumptions and meanings inherent in older adults' discussions about lesbian and gay-specific long-term care as a newly evolving agenda that spans social care, housing and ageing policy. The chapter provides a small sample of lesbian- and gay-identifying older adults about the meaning and significance of gender- and sexuality-specific care environments. Within existing research literature, the preferences of older lesbian and gay adults vary between the advocating for the enhancement of mainstream housing and care, to others arguing for the delivery of specialist housing and aged care services. Despite the economic backdrop, social care policy in England and Wales has paved the way for innovative developments in service provision that may meet the diverse needs, social circumstances of older adults, including lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals.
