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There is a lack of research on older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) adults. This systematic review aimed to synthesize Japanese and Swedish qualitative research on LGBTQ adults aged 60 years or older following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Japanese and Swedish articles, published in English, were searched across ASSIA, CINAHL, Medline, PsychINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Sociological Abstracts databases. Additional searches were conducted to include studies in Japanese or Swedish. There were no papers from Japan, whereas five from Sweden were reviewed. One article was excluded due to the wrong phenomenon. Four articles were included, involving 48 participants aged 60–94 years. We summarized the findings using a deductive thematic synthesis. Two major themes emerged: (a) quality of life, minority joy, and resilience (positive aspects), and (b) discrimination, stigmatization, and minority stress (negative aspects). The participants wished to be acknowledged for their own assets and unique life histories, and to be treated as everyone else. They emphasized the importance of knowledge of LGBTQ issues among nursing staff, so that older LGBTQ people are treated in a competent and affirmative way. The study revealed several important topics for understanding older LGBTQ adults’ life circumstances and the severe lack of qualitative studies in Japan and Sweden.

In this article, Ann-Christine Petersson Hjelm argues that the elderly care system in Sweden rests on what is described as a trust and dependence concept. In particular, it is discussed whether and in what way the interplay between trust and dependence is expressed in government committees and official documents. Interplay implies a correlation between social services personnel (trust) and the elderly (dependence). It is further stressed that the concept is a necessity, and that the impact of power – in terms of an instrument for management control – is a precondition for the elderly care system to work. It is argued that in the absence of indicative regulations, a built-in power strategy to create trust becomes necessary for the personnel. Petersson Hjelm also discuss power in terms of the elderly becoming empowered in relation to the exercise of public authority, activities or functions in elderly care by the personnel.