Tasmania has the country's oldest and fastest ageing population, and for the state's estimated 22,000 gays and lesbians the prospect of aged care has an added layer of concern.

It has been 20 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in Tasmania and many older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) people are still wary of lingering prejudice as they consider their aged care options.

A new training program aims to ensure they feel as safe, comfortable and respected in aged care as their straight housemates.

Ros Albiston and Linda Jomartz love the northern Tasmanian town of Deloraine where they have lived for the past six years.

Ms Jomartz said they expected to see out their lives there.

"Deloraine is an incredible town - we have an arts society, all the things that both Ros and I enjoy, we're in the film society, there's lots to offer us," she said.

But they were forced to rethink their plans when Ms Albiston was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Like many other same-sex couples, Ms Albiston said they had grave concerns about moving into a nursing home, like being respected as a couple.

"I know that even for heterosexual couples even things like privacy are not necessarily automatically respected but that's even harder for a same-sex couple." she said.

Ms Jomartz said it was important that they were allowed to make decisions for each other.

"I want to be able to make decisions for Ros," she said.

"Both of us are enduring power of attorney for each other and so that's incredibly important for me, and I want to be heard."

Ms Jomartz said it was also important that the aged care environment was considerate of personal preferences.

"For me it'd be really scary to be watching the football every weekend, and someone coming up and turning the television over because they want the footy on, and we might want to watch Mardi Gras!" Ms Jomartz said.

"And I really hope that they don't have 'cowboy' music on and music that's inappropriate for us. We'd like to hear something like k.d. lang or someone like that."

No place for bias and prejudice

Ms Jomartz said they knew of many negative stories from the LGBTI community.

"One chap was dying, and his partner needed to put him into care, when he was in palliative stage, and the person that was in charge of the facility made a statement like, 'I'm OK with your type, but I don't know how the rest of the staff will cope'," she said.

"That's the sort of bias that we don't need in our life."

Linda Jomartz and Ros Albiston are considering their future and what sort of aged care facility might meet their requirements ( ABC News )

Ms Albiston said many older people in the LGBTI community feared how they would be treated and perceived in aged care.

"Particularly in Tasmania, I think where there's more people who maybe stayed in the closet a lot longer because of the history of what happened in Tasmania ... for some of them, the sense is that they'll just go back into the closet," she said.

"We all know there are increased risks of depression and effects on health when you don't feel positive about what's coming for you as you age, so it's not exactly cheerful.

"And there's that sadness about possibly losing contacts, like are your friends and people in the community going to be welcome to come and see you in the facility?"

New demographics, new approaches to aged care

A federally funded program being rolled out in aged care facilities is raising awareness of the needs of clients or family.

Glenview aged care services chief executive Lucy O'Flaherty said the training helped staff be mindful, aware, and responsive to all clients. The national strategy has federal funding.

"If someone does identify as LGBTI, [it's] really giving staff the tools to enable them to be open, for clients and residents to talk to openly so that people don't have to be in the closet if they choose not to," she said.

Ms O'Flaherty said conversations with other residents are also important.

"Demographics are changing and we have far more people from an LGBTI community, as we have far more refugees and migrants, as we have a rapidly ageing population," she said.

"I had a conversation with some residents only a few days ago, and I thought there might have been some concern, whereas the response I got was 'everybody's got a right to care, regardless'.

"All the residents we have spoken to have been really open, welcoming and really quite excited to get new residents that have differences."

Susan Ditter from the Tasmanian gender, sexuality and intersex support and education service, Working It Out, said the training was not just about older LGBTI residents.

"We are also talking about people whose family are LGBTI and can be treated with respect as the next of kin, when visiting their family," she said.

Ms Jomartz said she and Ms Albiston just want to enjoy their later years.

"I guess for Ros and I, we've fought very hard for our community, and as we're getting older, we want to be just another person, we don't want to have to keep fighting to get our rights met and that's terribly important for us, just to feel comfortable."

Some facilities like Glenview have put all staff through the program, and it is hoped every aged care service in Tasmania will have completed the training within the next 18 months.