CHARLOTTE, N.C — Only 18% of nondiscrimination policies for long-term care facilities include LGBTQ+ residents and only 36% include their LGBTQ+ employees, according to a report from the Human Rights Foundation and SAGE, an advocacy group for seniors in the LGBTQ+ community. 

Aldersgate retirement community in Charlotte made changes to its policies to become more LGBTQ+ inclusive. They changed application forms and health care policies to include same-sex couple options.

Staff members took educational courses and residents have seminars, like navigating LGBTQ+ legal rights.

Brooks Shelley, Aldersgate's chief brand strategy and engagement officer, said just getting information out to residents is an important first step.

“Making the educational aspect of it available made a huge difference and everybody just wanted to be welcoming in every sense of the word,” Shelley said.

Aldersgate had a gay pride parade and invited everyone in the retirement community. Gene Robbins came with his girlfriend, Sue. “I would not have attended a pride event in the past, but since I’m here, I think I should support everybody who's here and that's what I’ve done,” Robbins said.

Aldersgate was included in the first edition of the Long-Term Care Quality Index, a national benchmarking tool from the Human Rights Foundation and SAGE that highlights long-term care communities with LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion.