Proceedings of the 8th World Conference on Qualitative Research

Introduction
Older lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals tend to live alone, mostly without children and with scarce family support. Moreover, traditional resources may not suit their specific end-of-life care needs.
Goals and Method
This study aimed at identifying and understanding the attitudes, perceptions, and meanings of older LGBTQ individuals regarding their needs and challenges, as they age and near end-of-life.
The phenomenological qualitative research methodology was applied, following the interpretive approach. Twenty-one older LGBTQ individuals in Israel, aged ≥55, participated in the study. In-depth semi-structured interviews, conducted from November 2020 to April 2021, were audio-recorded, transcribed, and de-identified.
Results
Five themes emerged from the interviews: Experiences of loneliness, marginalization, and trauma, and coping through liberation; ageism and exclusion of older adults; elastic and challenging relationships; end-of-life as reverting into the closet and hetero-normativity; and death as a source of generativity and creativity.
Conclusions
Loneliness is an existential experience, exacerbated by intersectionality of the LGBTQ community. In turn, informal family members play a minimal role in the end-of-life care of their loved ones. While ambivalent towards social services and housing for the ageing, older adults in the LGBTQ community expressed fear of being discriminated against and having to re-enter the closet as they age. However, ageism and end-of-life do not represent only finality and extinction, yet instead, signify hope and revival. The unique challenges associated with family and social support of older adults who are LGBTQ and their implications on care deserve further research and are important for practice.