A Request for Gender-Affirming Treatment in End-of-Life Care: A Case Study From an Inpatient VA Hospice Program

Abstract

Hospice care involves focusing on our patients’ goals of care and good symptom management. This coincides with a focus on their comfort, dignity, and respect. Working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning (LGBTQ+) patients on a hospice service can be challenging for medical staff. Many of these potential challenges relate to lack of training of medical professionals. These patients often receive discriminatory care compared to those who do not identify as LGBTQ+. This case study describes an assigned-male-at-birth Veteran admitted to a Veterans Affairs Community Living Center (CLC) hospice service who, after admission, informed staff of the strong desire to go forward with gender reassignment. Despite a prognosis of 6 months, working with the Veteran to help achieve these goals, supporting the medical plans for providing gender-transition information, and focusing on addressing the Veteran with appropriate pronouns were critical to our medical team’s support for our Veteran at this difficult time.