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JUNIPER COMMUNITIES RECEIVES SAGECARE TRAINING TO BETTER SERVE LGBTQ+ RESIDENTS

This is an image of an older woman smiling along with the Juniper Communities logo in green text.

Juniper Communities, a leader in quality, value and innovation in long-term care, operates senior living communities that emphasize residents’ well-being, interaction and security. Its approach offers residents the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest.

Recent research indicates that 9 out of 10 LGBTQ+ identifying adults fear discrimination in long-term care facilities because of their sexual orientation.

Our mission is to provide all people with the best care possible, and SAGECare is helping us serve LGBTQ+ and other diverse clients better.”
— Lisa Hackenberg, Staff Development Coordinator, Juniper Communities

BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES, December 8, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Recent research indicates that 9 out of 10 LGBTQ+ identifying adults fear discrimination in long-term care facilities because of their sexual orientation. To create a safe and welcoming environment, the management team of Juniper Communities took part in a training program by SageCare aimed at helping them better serve diverse populations. Juniper is based in Bloomfield, NJ, and operates 30 senior living communities in Colorado, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

The LGBTQ+ older adult population is expected to grow to 7 million by 2030. While the majority of the elderly population relies on family members for caregiving, LGBTQ+ people are twice as likely to live alone and four times less likely to have children. This puts them at higher risk of isolation and loneliness due to the lack of family support and limited access to services.

Juniper started its initial management training in September, during which time the team completed a 75-minute online self-study training followed by a 90-minute live webinar designed to help them understand the cultures, needs, and concerns of LGBTQ+ older adults. Juniper intends to implement these best practices in system-wide improvements across multiple departments, such as outreach and intake, programming, policy and procedures, marketing, facilities, and staff and board recruitment.

The next phase will include all its associates who will take the Creating Inclusive Communities for LGBTQ+ Older Adults training through its learning management system. Program topics include definitions, historical timelines, best practices to support dignity, inclusive language, intake interview process, and use of pronouns.

Since 1978, SAGE has been serving and advocating for LGBTQ+ older adults. SAGE is the lead organization running the National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, a project primarily funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living. The NRC is the country’s first and supports offered to LGBTQ+ older adults.

The mission of SageCare, a division of SAGE, is to ensure that all senior citizens feel accepted in retirement communities, regardless of their race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. It partners with senior living agencies to offer resources that create a better culture of dignity and respect for all clients. Agencies that complete the training will receive certification that shows they are welcoming, inclusive, and prepared to work with LGBTQ+ communities.

“Our mission is to provide all people with the best care possible, and SAGECare is helping us serve LGBTQ+ and other diverse clients better,” said Lisa Hackenberg, Staff Development Coordinator at Juniper. “As our staff and agency become more inclusive, we will be able to communicate with all residents and their families with even more compassion.”

About Juniper Communities
Juniper Communities, a leader in quality, value and innovation in long-term care, operates senior living communities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Texas that emphasize residents’ well-being, interaction and security. Its approach to housing and care offers residents the opportunity to live a full life, regardless of age or health. Juniper’s innovative Connect4Life program has been proven to improve residents’ care by decreasing hospitalizations, re-hospitalizations and urgent care visits, while offering potential cost savings to public programs such as Medicare. To learn more about the many ways Juniper Communities innovates in support of our residents, visit www.junipercommunities.com.

Jeanine Genauer
Juniper Communities/The JPR Group
+1 973-980-0100
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