I am a social worker, researcher, grief therapist, and end-of-life doula passionate about community care and dignified dying.
It all begins with a question. Or three.
How does loneliness shape how we live—and how we die?How do we care for the estranged and the isolated?
What do institutions owe us at the end of life?
I’m Lauren Gil Hayes—a researcher, writer, and social worker committed to asking the hard, human questions about care, loss, and belonging. My work examines the quiet edges of our systems: where loneliness lingers, where family ties have frayed, where people face the end of life without a safety net. I study what happens when care is absent and how institutions and communities can improve to meet the rising tide of isolation.
What I do
(and where I’d love to connect)
I research, write, and collaborate at the intersections of care, loss, and institutional response. My work focuses on the social realities of dying alone, estrangement, and the ways systems shape end-of-life experiences.
I’m always looking to connect with:
Hospice workers, death doulas, and end-of-life care providers
Social workers, clinicians, No One Dies Alone program administrators and community advocates, especially those who work with unhoused or vulnerable community members
Elders who are planning or considering solitary dying
Researchers, writers, and collaborators interested in loneliness, grief, and caregiving systems
If you’re working in these spaces—or living these questions—I’d love to hear from you.