Researchers contribute to landmark report on LGBTQIA+ end-of-life care
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Research by Dr Panagiotis Pentaris formed part of a global report exploring palliative care and end-of-life resources for older people in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Dr Panagiotis Pentaris with report author Lisa Williams on a visit to Goldsmiths
The international report, authored by Lisa Williams, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Auckland, highlights the unique challenges faced by older people in the LGBTQIA+ community, sharing vital resources to support inclusive care.
Dr Pentaris, who leads the Thanatology Research Lab, contributed UK perspectives focusing on culturally responsive care and the intersectionality of identity, grief, and dignity.
How heteronormative palliative care can lead to microaggressions or practitioners overlooking historical trauma forms part of his current research. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic replayed negative experiences for some older gay men in connection to HIV during the 1980s. He also shared about his research into using virtual reality (VR) games to share knowledge.
This landmark report underscores the importance of academic collaboration in advancing compassionate, inclusive care. It is vital to be academically rigorous but also deeply human. I hope this report will now serve as a beacon for those committed to equity in end-of-life care.
Dr Panagiotis Pentaris
PhD student Gren Duchien-Mathews also contributed to the report, drawing on his research exploring the lived experience of men during death, dying and bereavement following same-sex partner loss in adulthood.
Insights from contributors in the USA, Canada and the UK - including the University of Kent, Mary Stevens Hospice, the Cicely Saunders Institute at King’s College London and Goldsmiths, University of London - were collated. By drawing on knowledge from across borders, the report aims to empower practitioners in Aotearoa, New Zealand and beyond.