Intimacy and Sexuality During Illness and Loss (Self-Study)

Course overview

Holistic treatment of individuals who are terminally ill or bereaved should include the needs of the whole person. Yet the most basic of human desires, those that include intimate and sexual relationships, are frequently avoided, dismissed, or unaddressed by healthcare, social service, clergy and bereavement professionals. Patients, family caregivers, and clients can be inhibited by the deeply personal nature of intimacy and sexuality and often do not raise concerns with professionals. In this program, Hospice Foundation of America identifies barriers to intimacy and sexuality for terminally ill persons and the bereaved. The program emphasizes the knowledge and skills that professionals must have to sensitively address intimacy and sexuality and suggest interventions that can help dying and bereaved persons address these elemental human needs.