Senior Pride: Top LGBTQ-Friendly Assisted Living in Los Angeles

June is Pride month, but for seniors, their sexual identity can often be a source of stress when considering a move to senior and assisted living. Concerns about discrimination from staff and other residents can cause anxiety, changes in relationships and attitudes, and even cause some seniors to go “back into the closet” once they move into assisted living.

A recent survey of 649 LGBT elders conducted by six organizations seeking to better understand the experiences of LGBT older adults in long-term care settings found that 89% of seniors predict that community staff would discriminate against them if they lived their identity out loud, and a majority (526 or 81%) also thought that other residents would discriminate.

So, how can we prevent this and ensure LGBTQIA seniors feel included at Los Angeles-area communities?

In California, assisted living employees at long-term care facilities (CLHFs and SNFs) have required training on the topic they must go through every two years. The training covers LGBT history and how to create a safe and supportive environment. And in Los Angeles, many communities are taking things a step further to ensure inclusion for all.

Here are some of our favorite queer-friendly assisted living and senior communities in LA going the extra mile to foster inclusivity:

1. Kingsley Manor – Hollywood $$

Adjacent to LA’s LGBTQ epicenter West Hollywood is Kingsley Manor, located just down the street in Hollywood. This beautiful 4-acre campus has a laid-back atmosphere, large apartments, and plenty of resident-run activities that take place both inside and out of their lawns and gardens.

Each month, Kingsley Manor hosts happy hours for gay residents, and they invite seniors in the LGBTQ community who may be thinking of a move to senior living to join. They also have drag queen bingo to celebrate Pride every June, just to name a few.

2. The Watermark at Westwood Village – Westwood $$$$

With sophisticated interiors that harken to the W Hotel and a premium location steps away from the bustling Westwood Village, it’s no wonder that LGBT seniors love the Watermark at Westwood Village. The community’s apartments feature floor-to-ceiling windows, and have amenities like full kitchens, with Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s just steps away. The community incorporates conscious design, even featuring a 2022 Photo Exhibit telling the coming out stories of LGBTQ seniors.  

The Watermark has a sizable LGBT resident community, and several LGBT executives as well as having their employees SAGE certified. SAGE is advocacy and training services for LGBTQ elders with the aim of creating a more inclusive environment.

3. The Gardens at Park Balboa – Van Nuys $

The Gardens at Park Balboa is a more affordable choice popular amongst the LGBT community in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley. The assisted living community has great outdoor space, and an incredibly inclusive and friendly atmosphere. They have several staff members and community residents in the LGBT community, and have hosted regular happy hours for the community in the past. 

4. Hollywood Hills Senior Living – Hollywood $$

This community is super popular for seniors retiring from the movie and tv industry, making for an inclusive and collegial atmosphere, with a convenient location to the Los Angeles LGBT Center at an affordable price. These beautiful, historic apartments, which recently went through a gut renovation, are located in the center of Hollywood just steps from the Blvd. The complex features extra large studios, one and two bedrooms, state-of-the art aging friendly bathrooms and kitchenettes in every room, catering to the diverse Hollywood community. 

5. Triangle Square Senior Apartments – Hollywood

While not an assisted living community, the Triangle Square apartments in Hollywood are a popular choice for Los Angeles LGBTQIA seniors that may not yet need assistance. In a groundbreaking deal in 2023, the complex’s ownership was transferred to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. It is the nation’s first LGBTQ+-affirming affordable housing seniors’ community. 

Triangle Square residents have access to the full range of services and support provided by the LGBT Center, including case management, home-delivered meals, in-home care and benefits assistance, connection to health and mental health care, HIV support and wellness, counseling and support groups, and more than 75 monthly activities and events provided for free or at low-cost, as well as resources tailored to this community which face a unique set of challenges in older age.

Choosing the right senior living solution for your loved one isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” process. You need local, expert guidance to help you find the best fit. Call the Assisted Living Locators Los Angeles team to connect with one of our local senior living advisors today for your no-cost counseling.

About Assisted Living Locators

Since 2003, thousands of families have been helped by Assisted Living Locators, one of the nation’s leading free senior living placement services. The Los Angeles office is operated by Sarah Ordover, owner of Assisted Living Locators Los Angeles. Her team services clients from Glendale and Burbank to Santa Monica, including West Hollywood, Century City, Westwood, and everything in between. The office also represents clients looking for senior living south of Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley in neighborhoods such as Sherman Oaks, Encino, and Studio City. The Los Angeles office can be reached at assistedlivinglocators.com/contact-us.