Exploring LGBTQ+ people’s experiences of long-term and end of life care services

The demand for high-quality end of life care services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or trans, queer and other sexual or gender minority (LGBTQ+) people will continue to increase alongside that of the wider population. However, there does not appear to be the expected, representative numbers of LGBTQ+ patients within such services. In this article, the author examines some of the challenges experienced by LGBTQ+ people in accessing long-term and end of life care services, and discusses issues related to the concealment and disclosure of sexual orientation and gender identity. The author also explores some of the ways in which nurses, educators and healthcare organisations might improve the representation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in end of life care services.