Gay nursing home a European first
Berlin has opened Europe’s first nursing home for gay residents, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
The city’s mayor, Klaus Wowereit, is a personal supporter of the project, which was first proposed in 1995 at the Gay and Grey Forum.
It is purpose-built to accommodate 28 residents, both male and female.
Its architect and nursing home board member, Christian Hamm, said furnishings and décor were very important in a gay environment.
“When you’re old, the last thing you want to do is to have to hide,” he said.
A potential resident says he wants to live his final years in a gay-friendly environment. “I wouldn’t like to be in a heterosexual environment all the time,” he said. “Elderly people like to talk about their children and their grandchildren. A large number of homosexuals find it hard to join in.”
