Adding Silver to the Rainbow: Palliative and End-of-Life Care for the Geriatric LGBTQ Patient

• DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0382
• Publication Date: 2018-12-04T16:12:46Z
• Authors: Erin E. Stevens; Janet L. Abrahm
• Keywords: End-of-Life Care

Lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) older adults have unique health care needs, especially in the palliative hospice setting. In this article, we present a male patient with metastatic ovarian cancer, admitted worsening dyspnea, now at end of life. Only his wife was aware identified gender, nondisclosure very important to him. As he continued decline, team navigated LGBTQ-sensitive within setting, insurance inequalities, support communication family. This case study summarizes clinical recommendations for LGBTQ individual suggesting how our patient's may been improved. With changes social acceptance attitudes, community has become more visible their numbers appear be growing. It is important, therefore, that providers educated on needs provide competent inclusive care.