Paper
Thursday, July 22, 2004
This presentation is part of : Issues in Palliative Care
When a Partner Dies: Lesbian Widows
Katherine Bent, RN, PhD, CNS, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Denver, CO, USA and J. Kathy Magilvy, RN, PhD, FAAN, School of Nursing, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USA.
Learning Objective #1: Describe themes of lesbian widowhood in the context of widowhood in general
Learning Objective #2: Describe themes of lesbian widowhood in the context of loss in the LGBT community
Background:The death of a life-partner and subsequent bereavement is a profound experience for an individual. Widowhood has been well studied and literature on the loss of a spouse is plentiful. However, by far the majority of research reported is focused on heterosexual couples, primarily married and often in the later years of life. Research on the loss of a homosexual partner is limited.

Purpose:A need exists to understand and describe the meaning of widowhood for middle and older adult lesbians. The purpose of this study was to describe the bereavement experiences of lesbians whose life-partners have died.

Methods: The study used descriptive qualitative design, informed by phenomenology and feminist inquiry. Data were generated by in-depth, open-ended interviewing of six participants. Recurring themes and patterns were identified in each story that described the phenomenon of the bereavement experience across participants. Trustworthiness of findings was supported by addressing credibility, dependability, transferability, and authenticity.

Results/Outcomes: Analysis suggests themes about reflection and the end of life experience. The narrative of death and loss is non-linear and contextual, within which the presence or absence of support from family and friends is interwoven with the end of life experience. Threads emerge around questions of long-term bereavement, interventions, and potential health outcomes, such as the ability to put aside the experience and value oneself, one’s partner, and the shared relationship.

Implications: Many of these women have not had opportunities to tell their stories and develop insight into the meaning of the bereavement experiences. Understanding the experiences and interventions that are facilitative or barriers to successful bereavement will be helpful to both lesbians and possibly gay men facing impending loss and health professionals who interact with these individuals.

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Sigma Theta Tau International
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