An old people's home without a closet

[xchrom]

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/An/old/people/s/home/without/closet/elpepueng/20110802elpeng_5/Ten

"When a homosexual grows old and enters an old people's home, he goes back into the closet," says Federico Armenteros.

This 52-year-old social worker does not want to live his old age that way, and he does not want others to experience the "homophobia" of the homes run by the Catholic Church, or by other elderly people. That is why he is planning to build a retirement home for members of the LGBT community (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender). The Rivas-Vaciamadrid Town Hall has already ceded a plot of land for a 75-year period, operated under a government concession, in order to build the center.

Armenteros is the president of the XXVI Diciembre foundation - it takes its name from the day the social danger law, which was used to repress homosexuality during the last years of the Franco regime, was abolished - and is one of the 11 members of the cooperative who will assume the costs of the retirement home.

The project is already underway, although the foundation does not yet have the 14 million euros it needs to carry it out, and work has not yet begun. What it does have, though, is the plot, 16 partners and a handful of presentation leaflets in which it shows the design of the rooms and a building with a window displaying the rainbow flag as a "symbol of diversity."

[AnneD]

1. Thanks for posting this....

As a Nurse, I frequently pick up extra time in Nursing Homes. I always tried to respect the whole person. Sex, love and companionship is as much an integral part of us as the desire for food and water. I turned many blind eye and gave meds late out of respect for my patients. We need to be as humane as possible. Lord I hope if I ever get to a Nursing home, I would get a Nurse to take care of me that is just as considerate.

[xchrom]

3. as the adult child of elderly parents -- thank you. nt

[secondwind]

2. I knew it had to be Spain. This is sooo cool! :-D

[William769]

4. Fantastic.

Would love to see these everywhere they are needed.

Rec.

[badgerpup]

5. I remember asking about this when I first started working...

...although the idea of 'old people sex' was kinda weird to me (give me a break, I was in my early 20's and growing older was never going to affect me, right?)

It was termed 'bush therapy' and if the people were 'with it' enough to consent, you were supposed to just close the door and give them their space.

I thought that was pretty cool...but then I read a lot of Heinlein. :shrug: