Vantage Point Recognized for Support of LGBT Older Adults

For the second year in a row, Residences at Vantage Point in Downtown Columbia has received recognition for the quality of services and supports offered to its LGBT community from SAGE (Services & Advocacy for LGBT Elders), the oldest and largest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT older adults.

"We are pleased to have this recognition for Vantage Point. Our commitment to inclusion, diversity and community is a foundational value," said Patti Hutton, Director of Marketing. "It is a value we share with Columbia itself and its founder, James W. Rouse."

SAGE, in partnership with other organizations and with funding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, developed a training curriculum to educate staff in aging services organizations and improve conditions for LGBT older adults. Vantage Point management staff and employees received training from SAGE and were awarded the 2020 SageCARE Silver certification at its conclusion.
The purpose of the training was for the retirement community to identify and make changes to better serve LGBT old adults and ensure that these older adults have necessary services and supports to successfully age in community. As a prelude to the training, SAGE noted that its purpose is to ensure an outcome in which “residents and their families are treated fairly, with warmth and compassion and welcomed for who they are, without the need to hide themselves or go back in the closet.”
SAGE reports that there are 3 million LGBT seniors in the United States now, a number that is expected to rise to 7 million in the next decade.
Elements of the training include practical tips on sensitivity to friends and relatives of LGBT residents, as well as staff members. In addition, Vantage Point management and employees were trained on basic knowledge of LGBT terms, unique needs and best practices on how to be welcoming to LGBT residents, potential residents and their families.
Residences at Vantage Point was founded in 1990 and is a nonprofit serving people age 60 and above. Managed by Life Care Services, the community includes a variety of residential living arrangements and provides long-term health services exclusively for residents should they need them.
Residences at Vantage Point is noted for its arts, cultural and educational activities, as well as for resident engagement with the larger community of Columbia. It is located at 5400 Vantage Point Road. For more information, visit www.vantagepointresidences.org.