Helsinki Rejects Proposal for LGBTQ+ Seniors' Nursing Home

Helsinki has rejected a proposal to establish a dedicated nursing home for LGBTQ+ seniors. The city's Social, Health, and Rescue Services Committee concluded that current senior services in Helsinki are of high quality and sufficiently diverse to cater to minority groups, including the LGBTQ+ community.

However, the committee acknowledged the significance of strengthening LGBTQ+-sensitive work within the city. It stated that possibilities for LGBTQ+-sensitive community housing will be explored. The initial proposal for a specialized nursing home was put forth by Sandra Hagman, a deputy councilor from the Left Alliance, and was co-signed by 26 other councilors.

Hagman, who is a social worker, lecturer, and holds a doctorate in the history of homosexuality, argued that seniors belonging to the LGBTQ+ community are often an invisible group. She highlighted that these seniors face discrimination within social and healthcare services. Fearing such discrimination, they may avoid using services altogether or feel compelled to "go back into the closet" when they require societal support and assistance in their later years, such as in a nursing home.

The proposal cited the example of Stockholm, Sweden, where a similar service building for sexual minorities has been operational since 2009. The initiative aimed to provide a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ elders, ensuring they receive care without fear of prejudice or the need to conceal their identity.

“

Rainbow seniors face discrimination in social and health services, and for fear of discrimination, they refrain from using services and fear having to go back into the closet when, at the end of their lives, they have to rely on society's support and help, for example, in a nursing home.