2013 TVN Catalyst Research Program Grant
Fostering end-of-Life conversations, community and care among LGBT older adults
Funding:
$100,000
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults are more likely to age alone, with limited support, and in a
stigmatizing environment where they are often poorly served by traditional social services and hesitant to avail
themselves of the same. The result is poorer overall health, with an associated reduced preparedness for end of life.
This project aims to redress these disparities by conducting focus groups in five regions of Canada (Maritimes, Quebec,
Ontario, the Prairies and West Coast) with LGBT older adults as well as service providers, followed by community town
hall meetings for both reciprocal knowledge transfer and community development.
The research team comprises faculty and students from six Universities across the country and one in the US, and
individuals from community organizations, regional health authorities, provincial government, and international
associations. Disciplines represented include: consumer economics, education, family studies, geography, gerontology,
human development, integrated healthcare, planning, psychology, social work, and sociology.
These data gathering and community-enhancing efforts will culminate in a pilot online website tailored to the unique
experiences and needs of LGBT older adults, fostering dialog, knowledge exchange and document preparation,
connecting individuals to appropriate resources, and creating/nurturing community. In addition to the benefits accrued
to LGBT older adults as a result of this project, networks of community organizations, universities and provincial
agencies will be developed leading to further research and practice with potential benefits for all Canadians.
Principal Investigators: Host Institution:
Brian de Vries, PhD
Simon Fraser University
Brian de Vries is an Adjunct Professor in Gerontology at Simon Fraser University (SFU), and a
Professor of Gerontology at San Francisco State University (SFSU). He received his doctoral degree
from the University of British Columbia in 1988, followed by post-doctoral fellowships at both Simon
Fraser University and the University of Southern California. His areas of research interest relate to
LGBT aging and trying to understand the challenges and strengths of aging as a member of a sexual
minority under stigmatizing conditions, the unique and pivotal roles friends play in our lives, and how
we grieve and the role of loss in our lives.
Gloria Gutman, PhD
Gloria Gutman is Professor Emerita in the Gerontology Department and a Research Associate in the
Gerontology Research Centre at Simon Fraser University (SFU), having founded and directed both
from 1982 to 2005. She is currently the President of the International Network for Prevention of Elder
Abuse (INPEA), and a distinguished international record of academic and advisory service. Dr. Gutman
completed her undergraduate degree and doctorate at the University of British Columbia and her
masters at the University of Alberta. Her research interests are wide-ranging; including seniors’
housing, long term care, health promotion, dementia care, environmental design of age-friendly
hospitals and cities, and seniors emergency preparedness.
Co-Investigators:
Janet Fast, PhD, University of Alberta
Steven Mock, PhD, University of Waterloo
Line Chamberland, PhD, University of Quebec at Montreal
Jacqueline Gahagan, PhD, Dalhousie University
Áine Humble, PhD, Mount Saint Vincent University
Project Contact: Project Leader – Brian de Vries (dbrian@sfu.ca)
This research is funded by TVN (Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network), which is supported by the Government of Canada through the Networks of Centres of
Excellence (NCE) program. ™ Trademark of TVN. ©TVN, 2013-14. CAT2013-21. 2014 06.