2SLGBTQI+ Inclusion Checklist

This checklist is designed to promote inclusivity and create a welcoming environment for older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. But a checklist only helps if it tells you what to actually do. So we turned each principle into specific, ready-to-implement strategies you can use in challenging situations — today, on your next shift, at your next meeting. Work through it section by section, tick off what you already do, and pick one or two new actions to try this week.

Communication

Use inclusive language and ask for people’s pronouns. Respect privacy and confidentiality regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Here is what that looks like in practice:

• Introduce yourself with your own pronouns first (“Hi, I’m Sam, I use she/her”) to make it safe for a resident to share theirs.
• Ask every new resident on intake: “What name and pronouns would you like us to use?” — not just residents you think might be 2SLGBTQI+.
• Write the chosen name and pronouns on the care plan, the whiteboard, and the handover sheet so every shift uses them consistently.
• If you use the wrong name or pronoun, correct yourself briefly and move on: “Sorry — she. As I was saying…” Don’t make it a big moment.
• Swap “husband/wife” for “partner” or “spouse” until you know how a resident refers to theirs; use “chosen family” alongside “next of kin” on forms.
• Never out a resident to other residents, family, or staff who don’t already know. If someone asks, say: “That’s something you’d need to ask them.”
• Hold sensitive conversations in a private space — not at the nursing station or in a shared room where others can overhear.

Respect and Affirmation

Acknowledge and respect their lived experiences and identities. Avoid making assumptions about sexual orientation or gender identity. Concrete ways to do this:

• Don’t assume a resident is straight, cisgender, widowed, or childless based on their age, appearance, or marital status on file.
• When a resident shares something about their identity or past, respond with “Thank you for telling me” — not surprise, pity, or probing questions.
• If a resident mentions a partner or relationship you didn’t know about, update the record and carry on normally — don’t make it a story.
• Use the resident’s own words for their identity, even if those words are older terms you wouldn’t use yourself.
• If a resident corrects you on a name, pronoun, or detail, say “Thank you, I’ll make sure that’s noted” — and then actually note it.
• Treat a resident’s chosen family as family for visiting, care planning, and end-of-life decisions, on the same footing as legal next of kin where the resident wishes it.

Awareness and Sensitivity

Be aware of the unique challenges and discrimination faced by older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. Show empathy and understanding towards their experiences and needs. Try these:

• Remember many older 2SLGBTQI+ adults lived through decades when being open could cost them their job, home, or family — caution and secrecy are survival habits, not rudeness.
• If a resident is reluctant to share personal details, don’t push. Trust is built over many small, consistent interactions.
• Watch for a resident “going back in the closet” after moving in — a common and serious sign they don’t feel safe. Flag it to your champion, not the whole team.
• Notice who never gets visitors and who flinches at certain topics; these are clues, not gossip to share at break.
• When a resident expresses fear about being treated differently, validate it: “That’s a real worry, and we take it seriously. Here’s what we can do.”
• Learn the history: criminalization, the AIDS crisis, conversion practices. You don’t need to be an expert — just aware that this shapes how residents experience care.

Access to Services

Ensure that services are inclusive and accessible to older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. Provide information about support groups, resources, and organizations tailored to their needs. Actions you can take:

• Keep a printed list of 2SLGBTQI+-friendly support groups, senior networks, and community organizations at the nursing station and in the resident handbook.
• Make sure 2SLGBTQI+ resources are visible to everyone — not handed out only when you guess someone might need them.
• Check that your activity calendar includes options that don’t assume traditional family structures (e.g. “bring someone who matters to you”, not “family day”).
• When referring a resident to an outside service (counselling, home care, hospice), confirm the provider is 2SLGBTQI+-affirming before you make the referral.
• Offer to connect a resident with a peer or support group privately if they’re not comfortable being seen taking the information openly.
• Ensure interpreters, accessibility aids, and transport apply equally to 2SLGBTQI+-specific events and appointments.

Creating Safer Spaces

Foster an environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, and prejudice. Take proactive steps to address any instances of discrimination or mistreatment. Here’s how:

• Display a visible non-discrimination statement that names sexual orientation and gender identity at reception and in resident areas — and mean it.
• When you witness a homophobic or transphobic remark between residents, intervene calmly in the moment: “We don’t speak about people that way here.”
• Don’t laugh along or stay silent to keep the peace — silence reads as agreement to the person targeted.
• Document every incident factually, the same day, even if it seems minor. Patterns matter.
• Check in privately with the person targeted after any incident — “I saw what happened. Are you okay? What would help?”
• If a family member makes discriminatory demands about a resident’s care or roommate, hold the resident’s rights and wishes as the priority and escalate to your manager.
• Walk your unit looking for signals: who’s in the photos, what’s on the walls, whether the intake area feels welcoming. Small fixes add up.

Training and Education

Continuously educate yourself on issues related to older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. Advocate for diversity training and education within your organization or community. Practical steps:

• Bring one new thing you learned about 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion to each team huddle — a term, a scenario, a resource. Rotate who shares.
• Ask your manager to schedule a foundations training session if one hasn’t happened in the last year, and make sure casual and night staff are included.
• Add 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion to new-hire onboarding so the standard holds as the team changes.
• Keep a short reference card at the station: correct names/pronouns, key terms, what to do if an incident happens.
• If you’re a leader, model the behaviour publicly — use inclusive language in meetings, correct yourself out loud, and staff will follow.
• Advocate for a budget line for annual refresher training, the same way you would for any other compliance topic.

Supportive Practices

Offer support that is sensitive to their specific needs and experiences. Be an ally and advocate for the rights and well-being of older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. Things you can do:

• Ask residents directly what “good care” looks like for them — and write their answer in the care plan.
• For personal care, offer choices about who provides it and how, and document preferences — especially relevant for transgender and non-binary residents.
• If you hear a colleague struggling with a resident’s pronouns, coach them privately rather than correcting them in front of the resident.
• Speak up in care conferences to make sure a resident’s identity-related needs are named and planned for, not glossed over.
• At end of life, confirm who the resident wants present and how they want to be addressed — and make sure that’s honoured by every shift and every visitor.
• Follow up after a difficult moment: a quiet “I’m glad you felt you could tell me” builds trust that lasts.

Collaboration and Networking

Collaborate with organizations and groups that specialize in providing support to older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. Build networks to create a supportive community for older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. Try these:

• Identify one or two local 2SLGBTQI+ senior organizations and introduce yourself — a named contact makes referrals faster and warmer.
• Invite a community organization to speak at your home or join a care-planning conversation when a resident would benefit.
• Connect with other care homes in your region to share what’s working — you don’t have to build everything from scratch.
• If your home has an inclusion committee, join it; if it doesn’t, propose starting one with a manager and a couple of willing colleagues.
• Share resources, not just problems — pass along a good referral list, a training contact, or a policy template to peer homes.
• Build a relationship with a 2SLGBTQI+-affirming spiritual care provider or counsellor residents can be referred to confidentially.

Personal Growth

Reflect on your own biases and assumptions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Commit to personal growth and ongoing learning about issues affecting older 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. Concrete habits:

• Notice your own assumptions in the moment — when you pictured a resident’s “spouse,” who did you see? That awareness is the work.
• If you feel uncomfortable or unsure, name it to yourself honestly and get curious instead of avoiding the resident.
• Read one article, watch one short video, or listen to one story from an older 2SLGBTQI+ person each month.
• Ask a trusted colleague: “Is there anything I could be doing better on inclusion?” and sit with the answer.
• When you make a mistake, apologize briefly, fix it, and learn — don’t let guilt stop you from trying again.
• Set yourself one inclusion goal each quarter (e.g. “update all my intake conversations to ask pronouns”) and check in on it.

Other strategies

What else can you do to create safer and more inclusive spaces? The best ideas often come from the people doing the work. Write yours down and share them with your peers:

• A moment this week where I wasn’t sure what to do: ____________________
• Something that worked well with a resident or family member: ____________________
• A gap I noticed in our policies, forms, or environment: ____________________
• An idea I want to try on my next shift: ____________________
• A question I want to bring to my team or manager: ____________________

You don’t have to do everything at once. Pick one section, choose two actions, and start there. Inclusion is built through consistent, everyday practice — and every action on this list moves your community closer to genuinely safe care for every resident.