Episode 22: Dr. Anne Katz on breaking the silence on sexuality in end of life care

In this episode, the hosts of The Hospice Chaplaincy Show” Joe and Saul cross the border and talk to Dr. Anne Katz in Canada.

Dr Anne Katz is a certified sexuality counselor and clinical nurse specialist. She is the author of fourteen books and numerous articles in the professional literature. She is also the editor of The Oncology Nursing Forum which is the #1 nursing journal in the world. She has traveled the world as an educator to health care professionals and students of all disciplines.

In the final stages of life, sexuality is often regarded as not important by health care providers. It is often assumed that when life nears its end, individuals and couples are not concerned about sexual issues and so this is not talked about. Although the need or ability to participate in sexual activity may wane, the need for touch, intimacy, and how one views oneself do not necessarily wane in tandem. Individuals may in fact suffer from the absence of loving and intimate touch in the final months, weeks, or days of life. Dr. Anne Katz has made it her mission to address this topic.

You can read more about Anne’s work here; http://www.drannekatz.com/

Here is a slideshow of some of the books written by Dr. Anne Katz