During Older Americans Month, SAGE CEO Michael Adams took over HRC's Twitter to discuss the Long-Term Care Equality Index -- a joint initiative by HRC and SAGE to promote inclusive care for LGBTQ older people.

1/ Hi, this is Michael Adams (@Adams_SAGEUSA) CEO of @SAGEUSA. I’m here this #OlderAmericansMonth for an #HRCTwitterTakeover to discuss the Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI), a partnership between @HRC and SAGE to promote inclusive care for LGBTQ older people. #OAM19 pic.twitter.com/s62U97Nl70

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

2/ There are an estimated 3 million LGBTQ adults over age 50 in the U.S. and that number is expected to grow to around 7 million by 2030.

As many as 4.7 million LGBTQ elders are expected to be seeking long-term care and services by then. #OAM19 https://t.co/0u5leVSZwL

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

3/ That’s why @SAGEUSA and @HRC joined forces to launch the LEI to promote equitable and inclusive care for LGBTQ older people in residential long-term care communities. #OAM19 #OlderAmericansMonth https://t.co/KZD2WXWloR

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

4/ May is #OlderAmericansMonth & an ideal time to discuss the need for the LEI, an assessment tool that will encourage and help residential long-term care communities to adopt policies & best practices that provide culturally-competent and responsive care to LGBTQ elders. #OAM19

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

5/ A national survey of LGBTQ older adults in long-term care facilities found that only 22% of respondents felt they could be open about their identity with staff & 89% predicted that staff would discriminate against them based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. pic.twitter.com/sGtA5V1eVF

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

6/ Additionally, 43% reported instances of mistreatment.@AARP reports that 76% of older LGBTQ people are concerned about having adequate family or social support as they age. #OAM19 #OlderAmericansMonth https://t.co/YJrSivNDXp

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

7/ Many Black & Latinx people face compounded fear of discrimination based not only on sexual orientation & gender identity, but also race & ethnicity.

It’s time to end the tragedy of LGBTQ elders being forced back into the closet because of bias & mistreatment in care settings. pic.twitter.com/OVVhnZO9uA

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

8/ The Long-Term Care Equality Index, the first-ever nationwide assessment of how well long-term care facilities are treating their LGBTQ residents, will aid in the fight for equality for our community’s trailblazers. #OAM19 #OlderAmericansMonth https://t.co/KZD2WXWloR

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

9/ Building on the success of @HRC Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index, the LEI will be an essential complement to the cultural competency training that SAGE provides across the country through our #SAGECare program. #OAM19 #OlderAmericansMonth https://t.co/Hjw0lpwZP4

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

10/ To fundamentally improve the experiences of LGBTQ older adults as they seek long-term care, we are calling on facilities nationwide to sign onto the "Commitment to Caring" pledge. #OAM19 #OlderAmericansMonth https://t.co/Mkv8TBmNSL

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

11/ Though the LGBTQ community has seen much progress, the stark reality remains that many older people who have had to live through a lifetime of discrimination continue to face it—often alone—in their golden years. #OAM19 #OlderAmericansMonth https://t.co/tu2oCO8teZ pic.twitter.com/Ph8ihnsnHA

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019

12/12 50 years ago, our LGBTQ elders shattered barriers at Stonewall. We must support them as they continue fighting for equality today. It’s our duty to ensure our community’s pioneers age with the dignity and respect they deserve. #OlderAmericansMonth https://t.co/MuDdZd5E8d

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) May 28, 2019