Watermark Retirement Communities has been ranked among the top national leaders for LGBTQ+ elder care in the recent Human Rights Campaign Foundation-SAGE Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI), earning the ‘High Performer’ status at 55 community locations. Forty-four of the Watermark Communities included in the LEI also have earned the SAGECare Platinum Credential, the highest LGBTQ+ competency credential SAGE awards.
A joint project of SAGE and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the LEI is the first national benchmarking tool for LGBTQ+ inclusion in senior housing and long-term care. The LEI High-Performer designation recognizes Watermark’s LGBTQ+ inclusive resident non-discrimination policies as well as inclusive employee benefits and policies. This year, 200 senior housing communities across 34 states participated in the LEI.
Of the 55 Watermark LEI High-Performers, 44 have attained the SAGECare Platinum credential. SAGE, the country’s largest LGBTQ+ elder advocacy organization, offers comprehensive LGBTQ+ aging cultural competency training for staff of residential communities and long-term care facilities. The Platinum SAGE credential is the highest level of LGBTQ+ cultural competency training offered by SAGE.
With its LEI High-Performer status and its SAGECare Platinum designations, Sherrill Wayland, SAGE’s Senior Director of Special Initiatives and Partnerships, said Watermark is a recognized leader in LGBTQ+ inclusivity. “Watermark serves as an example to other organizations,” Wayland said. “Watermark is one of our leaders.
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