Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
School
Social Work
Advisor
Carolyn Ewing
Abstract
The elderly LGBT community is growing in the State of Florida, and some members of this group face inequalities when accessing long-term care services. Social workers play an important role in assisting residents to acclimate to their settings, and without their involvement, LGBT older adults may be forced back into secrecy regarding their sexual orientation. For social workers in long term care facilities, understanding how discrimination, oppression, and stigma interacted in the lives of these LGBT older adults is important in understanding these adults and their experiences in long-term care facilities. This doctoral project used a qualitative research design. Fifteen social workers currently working in long term care facilities in the State of Florida who had earned a Bachelor of Social Work or a Master of Social Work degree were participants. Interviews were held to discuss their treatment with LGBT residents and their practices in the clinical setting. A consent form with a description of the study was provided to the participants prior to participation. All responses were confidential, and no identifying data was reported. Data analysis was performed using a three-stage coding process of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. Three major themes of education, trust, and respect were identified. Rigor of the study was addressed by audits, reflexivity, and peer debriefings. This study will affect all levels of social work – micro, mezzo, and macro – through education in schools and long term care facilities.
Recommended Citation
Curci-DeGaro, Katherine Louise, "How Social Workers in Long Term Care Facilities in the State of Florida Assist LGBT Aging Adults to Acclimate to Each Other and the Facility" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 12309.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/12309
