Older 2SLGBTQ+ adults embraced tech to support each other during pandemic: Dalhousie study

A new study from Dalhousie University has found that many older 2SLGBTQ+ adultsadapted to new technologies to maintain social supports during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Technology was an important way for people aged 50 and older in that demographic to care for their mental health and support each other, the study found.

Older 2SLGBTQ+ people felt a big sense of responsibility "to make sure that ... they and their community members were not forgotten," said study co-author Christopher Dietzel.

The team at the Sexual Health and Gender Research Lab wanted to look at this topic becausethere's often a lack of research targeting older populations, and because being part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community can make social isolation worse for older adults due to things like estrangement from family.

The study's findings counter a common view that older people are less capable with technology, Dietzel said.

"This population is ...quite motivated and interested to learn, and they seek support through peers, through online networks, through community organizations," he said.

At the same time, some people in the demographic faced barriers to using technology due to things like low digital literacy and inadequate internet connections.

"We need to find ways to support them to use technology in a way that makes sense for them," Dietzel said.

The study's findings are not surprising to the executive director of @NS, an organization that aims to ensure everyone in Nova Scotiahas access to the technology they need.

There's "never a lack of people interested in learning new things," said Tim Tucker, whose organization has provided technology training to seniors.

"We could offer that service year-round, permanently, and never lose the demand for it."

Tucker's organization also partnered with the province to provide 800 iPads to seniors in long-term care facilities during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a program that he said had good uptake.

"Unfortunately for a lot of people, this was the only way that they had to stay in contact with family and friends," Tucker said.

This study was a type of publication called a scoping review, where existing research is analyzed to provide a broader picture.

That was a jumping-off point for the research team, whichthen conducted focus groups with 23 2SLGBTQ+ adults age 50 and above in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario to understand their experiences with technology.

One finding from that research, Dietzel said, was thatolder 2SLGBTQ+ adultscan use technology for intergenerational learning.

"They're really interested in using technology not only to connect with other people of their generation who identify as LGBTQ+, but also people of other generations who identify as LGBTQ+."