Intimacy At End Of Life
September 8 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Queer Death Salon is a virtual community space for all 2SLGBTQIA+ people to come together to discuss death, dying and grief. It is a facilitated drop-in discussion space, with the purpose of building connection, skill, and resources for 2SLGBTQIA+ people navigating end of life in our personal lives and in our communities.
Medical interventions, hypersensitivities, decreased capacity for verbal communication, and pain can all contribute to a sense of isolation for both the dying and those attending to them. A dying person may experience an aversion to touch, cognitive changes, unclear capacity for consent, and even expressions of unexpected sexuality. The challenge of a partner or family member’s transition into a caregiving role often goes unacknowledged.
With tenderness and curiosity, we will reflect on our own experience, boundaries and values, and build more skill to confidently navigate the challenges of intimacy at the end of life, so that we can receive its gifts.
Vanessa Carlisle, PhD (they/them) is a graduate of the Going With Grace death doula training program and certified by the National End of Life Doula Association. Vanessa brings experience with in-home caregiving, DWD/EOLD, navigating hospital and hospice services, dementia care, and the complex family/community dynamics that arise with deaths due to violence, suicide, and overdose.
