LGBTQ-Inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care: A Practical Guide to Transforming Professional Practice by Kimberly D. Acquaviva
This is a must read for anyone who works in palliative or hospice care. In an easy to read and understand style with time spent looking at nursing, social work, spiritual care, physicians, and aides, this book provides ideas and a framework for how to improve your work. Through reflections by professionals and examples of how well care can be provided, you will learn from this book. You may be challenged by this book as you are encouraged to change the way you do something or the way you think. Each chapter includes-chapter objectives, key terms, chapter summary, perspectives (the reflections by professionals), key points to remember, discussion questions and a chapter activity. The structure of the book makes it perfect for a book study at work or personal reading to enhance your work. I recently led a discussion at my work using the first chapter and focusing on our own bias and key terms. One activity that I shared in my recent presentation comes from page 17 of the book, “Over the years I’ve been asked many times why lesbians, gay and bisexual people feel the need to ‘tell people about their sex lives’ by coming out to others. Rather than answer the questions directly, I like to respond by asking the questioner to try the following exercise. If you are heterosexual and currently in a relationship with a person of another gender, keep track of how many times you make reference to this person (either by name or by such terms as boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife) in your conversations with colleagues, friends, neighbors, and family members this week. At the end of the week, reflect on why you felt the need to share your heterosexuality with so many people.
This exercise never fails to leave people surprised by how often heterosexuality is casually disclosed in everyday conversation. Mentioning your sexual orientation to others isn’t telling people about your sex life; it is sharing a part of who you are as a person”.
It is a good exercise for many of us to try. In fact in one presentation, I had just spoken about my husband and no one paid any attention until I read this piece and then people pointed it out to me. This is just one example of how the author will increase your awareness of what you are doing well and what you could be doing better to care for all the people you serve in hospice and palliative care.
So if you or someone you know works in hospice or palliative care, please read this book and share it.
