LGBT end of life care planning ‘incomplete’
The most vulnerable groups of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community are those most likely to feel uncomfortable discussing end of life issues, according to new research.
Southern Cross University research shows only a small number among the LGBT community have discussed end of life care options with general practitioners or another main healthcare provider.
The Southern Cross University research shows only a small number among the LGBT community have discussed end of life care options with general practitioners or another main healthcare provider.
Associate Professor Mark Hughes and Professor Colleen Cartwright, from the School of Arts and Social Sciences and the School of Health and Human Sciences, investigated the knowledge of, and attitudes towards, end of life care of 305 LGBT people living in NSW.
A paper highlighting their findings was recently published in the Journal of Health and Social Care in the community.
“The research found that like the general population in Australia, the LGBT community had a limited understanding of their legal options when it came to end of life care,” Associate Professor Hughes said.
“The results showed the majority of respondents to the survey were aware of three of the four key end of life care planning options available in NSW – that is enduring powers of attorney, enduring guardians and person responsible – while only a minority had heard of advance healthcare directives. Furthermore, only a small sample of those surveyed had actually taken up these options.
“Other findings included that only a minority of respondents were able to identify correctly a same sex partner as the person who had the legal right to make treatment decisions in a scenario involving a woman who was unconscious following a car accident.
“Also, only a small proportion of people had discussed end of life care options with general practitioners or another main healthcare provider, and only in very few cases were these issues raised by the practitioners themselves.”
According to Associate Professor Hughes, one of the most concerning findings of the study was that some of the most vulnerable groups of the LGBT community were those most likely to feel uncomfortable discussing end of life issues.
“The paper highlights the importance of education strategies to raise awareness of the end of life care planning options among LGBT people, as well as strategies for increasing health providers’ preparedness to discuss these issues with LGBT patients.”
