Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ +) older adults face heightened risks of social isolation, given decades of discrimination. Research on telephone buddy programs with non-LGBTQ + participants has proved predominantly unsuccessful at addressing social isolation. However, evidence suggests that LGBTQ + adults may actually benefit from telephone buddy programs and in ways uniquely different from other groups. This article shares lessons learned from 35 participants across a 12-month pilot program that matched LGBTQ + older adults to mostly LGBTQ + volunteer callers of various ages. Over one-third of participants identified as people of color and over 20% as transgender or gender nonbinary. This project employed community-based participatory action research to identify, implement, and evaluate the program. Data includes information from questionnaires and telephone interviews prior to and during the program. Nearly all participants identified the importance of LGBTQ + community in addressing social isolation and loneliness. Intergenerational matches also provided promising findings for making connections. While the project aimed to capture two groups (LGBTQ + older adults experiencing isolation and volunteer callers providing support), the project revealed a third group: LGBTQ + older adults at risk of social isolation. This third group usually emerged among the “Volunteer” callers who identified concerns about their own social isolation. The persistence of structural barriers also required the program to adapt to best meet participant needs. This article concludes with lessons learned and clinical implications for social workers who are addressing social isolation and loneliness among LGBTQ + older adults.

中文翻译：

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LGBT 老年人的社会隔离孤独感：从试点友好来电计划中吸取的教训

鉴于数十年的歧视，女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋和跨性别 (LGBTQ +) 老年人面临更高的社会孤立风险。对非 LGBTQ + 参与者的电话伙伴计划的研究已证明在解决社会孤立方面主要是失败的。然而，有证据表明 LGBTQ + 成年人实际上可能从电话伙伴计划中受益，并且以与其他群体截然不同的方式受益。本文分享了从 35 名参与者那里学到的经验教训，该计划将 LGBTQ + 老年人与主要是 LGBTQ + 不同年龄的志愿者呼叫者相匹配，该计划为期 12 个月。超过三分之一的参与者被认定为有色人种，超过 20% 的参与者被认定为跨性别者或非二元性别者。该项目采用基于社区的参与式行动研究来确定、实施和评估该计划。数据包括在计划之前和期间来自问卷调查和电话采访的信息。几乎所有参与者都认为 LGBTQ + 社区在解决社会孤立和孤独方面的重要性。代际匹配也为建立联系提供了有希望的发现。虽然该项目旨在捕捉两个群体（LGBTQ + 经历孤立的老年人和提供支持的志愿者呼叫者），但该项目揭示了第三个群体：LGBTQ + 面临社会孤立风险的老年人。这第三组通常出现在“志愿者”呼叫者中，他们发现自己担心自己的社会孤立。结构性障碍的持续存在还要求该计划适应以最好地满足参与者的需求。