This section contains information for older gay, lesbian, bisexual people and trans people. If you can’t find the information you need, please call MESMAC and we will do our best to help.

 

NEWCASTLE

 

INFORMATION NOW
Newcastle Older people’s Website.
Find, share and add information about: useful local support, care, leisure, health and finance. Visit the website to find out more.
Website: www.informationnow.org.uk

 

NEOLN (NORTH EAST OLDER LESBIAN NETWORK)
NEOLN mission is “To provide a contact and supportive social network, amongst women who identify as lesbians aged 40 and over in the North East” Call the mobile number below to make contact anytime just leave a message & someone will get back to you. NEOLN meet at the Tyneside Coffee Rooms in Newcastle the first Saturday of each month between 10.30 & 11.30am with other outings throughout the year. NEOLN also have a private Facebook page for members.
Website: http://neoln.btck.co.uk
Email 
Mobile 07539 489 214

 

NORTH TYNESIDE

 

NORTH TYNESIDE TRANS GROUP
A place where people can meet ‘like minded’ people and discuss ‘whatever’s on your mind’
£2 including refreshments, Find out what’s going on in your area. Meet at Age UK North Tyneside’s Care Academy Centre, Park Road Whitley Bay,
Call: 0191 2808484 for info.
Email: 

 

DURHAM

 

THE 50+ LGBT GROUP
A friendship and consultation group for all LGBT people aged 50+ and living in County Durham. The monthly meetings start at 10:30am with lunch/ social time and 1:00pm finish.
Please call Clare for venue details (Durham City area) and to ensure lunch/refreshment provision and for advice and help with travel.
The usual venue is the Methodist Church in North Road, Durham City, but every other month will be somewhere different in County Durham.
Call Clare Midgley – on 0191 374 6567 or email

 

AGEUK (County Durham)
Age UK County Durham can provide advice and information to older members of the LGBT communities, including home visits on request. The EngAge 50+ LGBT Group meets monthly to socialise, discuss current issues and help to inform the development of local services and policies that impact on their lives. Email:
Website: www.ageukcountydurham.org.uk Call: 0191 3746367

 

NATIONAL

 

 

AGE UK
National organisation for older people, Age UK has information for older gay, lesbian and bisexual people with resources and events aimed specifically for them.Call: 0800 00 99 66 (free) for information on your local service.
Website: www.ageuk.org.uk

 

ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY LESBIAN AND GAY NETWORK
If you are lesbian or gay and caring for a partner, a relative or a friend, it will not be easy to make the decision that they should move in to residential accommodation.
Call: 0845 300 0336 (lo-call rate)
Support service for lesbians or gay men in support roles.
Call: 01843 220932 or 01865 847471 (national call rate)
Website: www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200369

 

CARERS UK
General help and advice for all carers.
Call: 0808 808 7777 (free call)
www.carersuk.org

 

THE CARE QUALITY COMMISSION
The Care Quality Commission is the new health and social care regulator for England.  They are independent but were set up by the Government to improve social care and stamp out bad practice. This website has a search engine to help in checking out care homes and domestic care agencies.
Call: 03000 616161
Website: www.cqc.org.uk

 

ELDERLY ACCOMMODATION COUNSEL
This site will help you explore options and make decisions about meeting your housing, support and care needs in later life. It contains detailed information on how to maintain, adapt or improve your home or release equity from it, find care or home help services, find and move to retirement housing or choose a care home where you will feel at home. It also specialises in all forms of ‘housing-with-care’ including extra care housing, assisted living and retirement villages.
Call: 020 7820 1343 (national call rate)
www.housingcare.org
www.eac.org.uk

 

DIVERSITY LINK
The community for equality and diversity in the UK.
Britain’s leading equality and diversity information websites.
www.diversitylink.co.uk

 

THE NATIONAL CARELINE
The National Careline offers information about care and support for older people, their carers and their families. They want to give the help and support needed together with information to plan ahead with confidence for the future. They signpost to various organisations including, Government departments and support networks that will help create a clearer understanding of the care maze.
Topics covered on their website include:
• What type of help is available
• Where to access help
• Where to access financial support
The National Careline also provides a range of lifestyle information to help with the support and care of an older person. This is a free service.
www.thenationalcareline.org

 

THE LAST OUTING

 

The research study “The Last Outing: Exploring end of life experiences and care needs in the lives of older LGBT people” has been funded by the Marie Curie Cancer Care Research Programme, and is led by Dr Kathryn Almack at the University of Nottingham. The project is funded under a call for research to explore ‘variations in end of life care’. While ‘end of life care’ is generally understood to be about care delivered to people in the last year of life, the project is also encompassing later life experiences and thinking about mortality – issues that may become more relevant as people age. The overall aim is to inform and influence policy to ensure that health and social care services adequately meet a diversity of needs and preferences.

In the study itself the last outing are capturing people’s experiences in two ways:
A survey of LGBT older people’s thoughts and experiences around end of life care (from not wanting to think about it through to planning one’s own end of life care and/or caring for some-one at the end of life) This is running throughout 2013.
In-depth interviews with a sub-sample of the survey respondents to explore issues coming out of the survey in greater depth.
The Last Outing are still looking for participants who meet the following criteria and so who:

• Currently live in the UK
• Identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans
• Are aged 60 or over (or are aged under 60 but have a partner or a person for whom they care who identifies as LGB and/or T who is aged 60 or over)

More information about the study and the research team can be found at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/nmpresearch/lastouting

 

LGBT FUNERAL CARE

One in ten gay people face discrimination when arranging a funeral.
A recent survey has revealed that 10% of gay, lesbian and bisexual people have experienced discrimination either at a funeral or whilst arranging one.
The study was conducted by Stonewall and The Co-operative Funeralcare, and also found that 48% of LGB people lived in fear of discrimination when dealing with bereavement.

Ruth Hunt, Acting Chief Executive of Stonewall, said: “Many older lesbian, gay and bisexual people grew up in a time when they were discriminated against and persecuted simply because of who they are. It’s therefore hardly surprising that so many feel reluctant to access services to help them plan for later life.
“At Stonewall we know that we stand on the shoulders of a generation whose tireless work helped to change Britain and the world for the better. We now have a responsibility to make sure that they receive the help and support they deserve for themselves and their families. That is why we’re working with community groups and faith organisations to help make this a reality.”

Check out an LGBT Planning for later life guide HERE!

 

HEADSTONE GUIDE

Have you ever thought about what you would like to mark your grave or the grave of a loved one? Thinking about death and dying is not a happy thing to do but at sometime or another we might all benefit from deciding what we would like to have to remember ourselves or our loved ones. The website below gives quite a comprehensive guide to headstones, inscriptions, types of material etc.
Website: http://headstoneguide.co.uk