A stone's throw from sandy beaches and the rainforest, Maurice Milliner is living his best years in retirement in picture-postcard Yorkeys Knob in far north Queensland.
Mr Milliner is an active member of the region's large and diverse LGBTQI+ community.
As he and his partner get on in years, the discussion has inevitably turned to aged care living, but they are worried they will end up like some of their friends.
"They were living in this situation where they couldn't really fully be themselves."
A hard-fought history
Queensland Council for LGBTI Health (QC) deputy chief executive Shaun Staunton said as people aged, they faced new challenges in dealing with senior and elder services.
"Some older folks may have lived through the criminalisation of their sexuality and may have experienced a whole range of discrimination, so the prospect of going into a service they're not familiar with can obviously create a lot of anxiety," Mr Staunton said.
Gary Hubble, an aged care system navigator with the QC, said the aged care system was complex enough, but for LGBTI, brotherboy or sistergirl people, there was an added layer of complexity.
"The history that those folks have experienced still has an embodiment of distrust and scepticism about whether services have actually changed," he said.
Mr Milliner said he had witnessed growing concerns within his community for a long time.
He said at times there were no places in aged care homes where LGBTQI+ people could go and feel welcome without having to hide their identity.
"We want to mix with the community," Mr Milliner said.
"That's always been the case.
"But in a situation where nobody knows [about your sexuality], you're not really accepted."
Barriers and trust
The Queensland Council of the Aging's Kate Kleemann said previous negative experiences with government organisations posed barriers to LGBTQI+ people seeking help.
She said organisations needed to build trust and inclusivity.
"It needs to be across the board, and training needs to be done as well with care staff."
Ms Kleemann said there was still a lot of work to be done.
"Just having the time to ask the person, 'Do you have a specific set of pronouns that you prefer me to use when I talk to you?'," she said.
"Just recognising that people have a choice … goes a long way."
Ms Kleemann said this holistic approach could also lead to better care and health outcomes.
The ongoing shift
Queensland Minister for Seniors Craig Crawford held a workshop in Cairns this month focusing on the needs of older people within the LGBTQI+ community.
He said while there had been progress, particularly in faith-based aged care services, more needed to be done to provide fully welcoming care.
"The shift is happening, but the shift needs to continue to happen," Mr Crawford said.
"My call would be certainly on the big institutions that are running aged care facilities to have a bit of a deep dive in your own organisation, your own staff, your own clients, as to whether you are a fully inclusive establishment or not."
Mr Staunton agreed that industry leaders needed to lead the charge.
Mr Milliner said his community fought long and hard to get to where it was now, and he still had hope for when his time came to need aged care.
"Hopefully then, when an LGBTI person finds they need the support from these providers, they can enter the room, sit opposite a person knowing they're not going to be embarrassed or they're not going to be put down, [and] they're able to talk about their relationship with their partner," he said.
