Erfahrungen von LSBT*-Patient_innen am Ende ihres Lebens – Die Situation Sterbender in England und Erkenntnisse der Studie "The Last Outing"

This paper addresses the end of life experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) older adults and their carers. The authors provide an overview of end of life care policies and guidelines in England with a specific focus on diversity. Key themes regarding the needs of LGBT patients and their carers are then outlined from a research study “The Last Outing”, from which the authors demonstrate the importance of visibility for LGBT patients in both institutional and community based end of life care settings. This mixed-methods study combined a quantitative component that surveyed 237 participants with a subsequent qualitative component comprising 60 semi-structured interviews that were analysed thematically. The article highlights the specific vulnerabilities of dying LGBT patients and the relevance of both sexual orientation and gender identity to good practice in health and social care, including working with partners and carers. The authors discuss the findings in relation to the social policy contexts of both England and Germany and highlight best practice examples.