This talk will describe the challenges LGBTQ people face when navigating healthcare as they age or approach end-of-life, and opportunities for creating an experience where more people can thrive. The talk will focus on the role of communication and its ability to help more people receive the care they want when they need it the most.
Learning Objectives: After this webinar, attendees will be able to:
- Understand communication challenges impacting the LGBTQ community when accessing healthcare, especially as individuals age.
- Describe the role fear plays in the healthcare system for LGBTQ people and the way it can impact care, and strategizes to help mitigate these challenges.
- Identify concrete solutions for supporting and improving the way LGBTQ people are cared for as they age and approach end-of-life.
This is an event of the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs (OACA), hosted by the Center for Bioethics, and co-sponsored by the following U of MN Units: Business Advancement Center for Health (BACH), Minnesota Carlson; Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, School of Public Health; Center for the Study of Political Psychology, College of Liberal Arts; Center for Women’s Health Research, Medical School; Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy, Humphrey School of Public Affairs; Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC); Medical School; Program in Health Disparities Research, Medical School; School of Dentistry; School of Nursing; School of Public Health.
Speaker(s)
Carey Candrian, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Director of the Science and Communication Lab at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She was a 2025 Health and Aging Policy Fellow with the U.S. House of Representatives, working on the Minority Staff of the Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health.
Dr. Candrian holds an MA in Organizational Communication and a PhD in Health Communication, both from the University of Colorado. Her work bridges research, policy, and storytelling to advance health equity, particularly for LGBTQ communities.
She is the creator of Eye to Eye: Portraits of Pride, Strength and Beauty, a powerful photo exhibit celebrating older LGBTQ women, and the director of the documentary Just Us: The Longing and Hope of LGBTQ People, which explores the lived experiences and resilience of LGBTQ individuals.
She has spent her career advocating for older adults, often those who are most vulnerable. Her goal is to use her experience as a researcher and educator with her healthcare policy experience on Capitol Hill, and expertise in communication, to build a health care system where more people care thrive.