Silent voices and invisible walls: exploring end of life care with lesbians and gay men.

Résumé

The needs and desires of lesbians and gay men with cancer at the end of their lives are not fundamentally different from any other dying individual's needs. There are, however, significant legal restrictions and societal attitudes that can negatively affect the dying experiences of lesbians and gay men. Lesbians and gay men face many challenges at the end of their lives, including issues of disclosure in the healthcare setting, discrimination, misconceptions, legal and financial barriers and the disenfranchised grief of surviving same-sex partners. Oncology social workers can play a prominent role in advocating for these individuals to allow for dignity and support in spite of these barriers and provide effective interventions to help in assisting lesbians and gaymen with healthcare decision-making and end-of-life care planning.