title: Developing understanding of same-sex partner bereavement for older lesbian and gay people: implications for social work practice.
abstract: There is little research and literature exploring same-sex partner bereavement in later life or end-of-life experiences of lesbian and gay elders in the United Kingdom. This article considers this often overlooked area of social work practice and explores a range of factors emerging from a small explorative study that considers the experience of loss and bereavement for lesbian and gay elders. Discussion of issues emerging include consideration of the wider psycho-social nature of bereavement and end-of-life experiences for lesbian and gay elders, and the implications this has for social work education and practice.
authors.affiliation: a National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work , Bournemouth University , Bournemouth , UK.
authors.forename: Lee-Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fenge
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001601:Bereavement; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D012947:Social Work; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: bereavement; disenfranchised grief; lesbian and gay older people