And it’s not just the location which seniors are able to choose; in fact, seniors today can choose to live among like-minded retirees who share their goals, lifestyles, faith or culture.
As reported in the Boston Globe newspaper, one of the niche markets targeted by senior living communities is the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) population.
One rights advocate told the newspaper that the issue for gay and lesbian seniors is more than just comfort; retirement communities geared for them will provide the sensitivity and understanding that is required.
“If they’re going to assisted living, the facilities want seniors to bring photos and other objects that make this place feel like their new home,” Lisa Krinsky of The Aging Project, an advocacy group for gay and lesbian seniors in Massachusetts, told the newspaper.
Less than one-in-four LGBT seniors living in assisted living communities are open about their sexual orientation, according to a nationwide internet survey from 2010.