Same Sex Aging Couples: Satisfaction

1
Same Sex Aging Couples Satisfaction Supports
Dr. Jean Quam, Dr. Gary Whitford, Lake Dziengel
Kelly Knochel University of Minnesota,
Twin Cities and St. Cloud State University

• WEB based survey over 1 year Period on Areas of
  Relationship Satisfaction, life events faced as a
  couple, shared tasks parental roles, shared
  assets, relationship protections (marriage/wills)
  and relationship supports detractors
• Participants 157 71 Couples and 15 individuals
• One person 50 or older
• Relationship 10 years or more

• Findings
• Same Sex couples reported higher scores in areas
  of couple satisfaction, communication and
  conflict resolution. Women scored higher in both
  conflict resolution and couple communication
• Gender statistically impacts perceptions in
  division of labor regarding decision making and
  arguments with women reporting sharing those
  tasks more than men.
• Older participants were less likely to travel to
  marry 58 of participants would marry if legal
  in their home state, 25.6 were undecided, 17.2
  said no.
• Older participants were less likely to report
  themselves or their partners as being out
• 38 reported being parents women were more
  likely to be parents, but not statistically
  significant
• 94.3 list their partner on wills or insurance
  78 have living wills for health care and 68.8
  completed POA and 39.5 establish domestic
  partner status
• Many indicate family and or extended family as
  support about 40 cited family member or
  external source as detractors
• Limitations
• Online survey created some limited access (also
  able to complete on paper) and technology
  problems with access occurred
• Participants are largely Caucasian and middle
  class difficult to locate/recruit racial/ethnic
  minorities
• Implications
• Education and training for professionals needed
  to best support this population in multiple areas
• Same sex couples may struggle with being out as
  they age address potential fears and barriers
• Legal protection of assets and medical decisions
  needs to be factored into case planning/support
  due to lack of civil/legal protections guaranteed
  by marriage
• Same sex couples generally perceive their primary
  relationship as mutually satisfying how to
  support their relationship, their children and
  include extended family

Findings of this Survey Compared with previous
Surveys of Heterosexual Couples on Relationship
Satisfaction Same sex couples report greater
satisfaction