Follow along with this series on the Cambia Health Foundation’s blog and learn how these 12 emerging palliative care leaders, from across the interdisciplinary team, are working to advance palliative care and transform the experience of people and families facing serious illness.
Healthy People 2020 has identified the LGBTQ population as an at-risk population when it comes to end of life care – this is because those within this population are less likely to get married, less likely to have kids, less likely to disclose their sexual orientation when seeking care, and more likely to live alone. In fact, 78 percent of LGBTQ adults withhold their sexual orientation when seeking long-term care. Unfortunately, the stigma that surrounds the LGBTQ community and their identities continues with them as they age and seek hospice care.
Given the focus palliative care has on whole-person health it is imperative that LGBTQ individuals and their care providers can effectively communicate. With the goal of improving communications and the overall health care experiences for LGBTQ individuals living with a serious illness or life limiting diagnosis, 2018 Sojourns Scholar, Carey Candrian, hopes to spark a conversation around the hospice admissions and consultation process, and the variability and complexity of such interactions.
Through the Sojourns Scholarship Leadership Program, Carey hopes for two things – to improve the way palliative care and hospice services are explained, so those who need it can get care that accurately aligns with their needs as they transition in to long-term care; and to improve the way hospice organizations communicate with LGBTQ individuals.
“I am dedicated to a career in the field of palliative care focusing on effecting and leading change on a communication and policy level so that LGBT individuals can access high quality hospice and palliative care that aligns with their needs.”
To learn more about Carey Candrian and her project with the Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program, watch this video.
Meet more 2018 Sojourns Scholars:
Meet Our 2018 Sojourns® Scholars – Carey Candrian, PhD
This blog post and video is part of a series featuring the 2018 recipients of the Cambia Health Foundation Sojourns® Scholar Leadership Program.
By Ashley Alder
October 16, 2019
