Old-Age Fears or Concerns

Abstract

This chapter investigated the concerns or fears interviewees held in relation to old age. These ranged from grave fears about the loss of a life-long partner or having to return to the closet because of homophobia to milder concerns about having to rely on neighbours for home help or having an unwanted sibling at their death bed. The stories were examined by age cohort, beginning with the old where the most worrying concern related to homophobia they might find in aged accommodation. Of interest was the fact that despite fairly widespread fears about a homophobic environment no one said he would refuse to move into a nursing home because of it. The middle cohort were also worried about the possibility of homophobia in aged accommodation. Their greatest worry was being socially isolated in old age—a universal fear which they shared with the other cohorts. Whether or not others resort to the same solution only time will tell, but some from this cohort said that their solution would be to continue sexual adventurism for as long as they were able to do so. For different reasons, social isolation in old age was a concern also for the young cohort. Arguing that the absence of children explained why gay men would be socially isolated, they were also conscious of gay community inaction to support elderly GLB people. The other gay community absence they noted was provision of gay-specific aged accommodation, which they regarded as axiomatic.