Research. Collaboration. Care. Rooted in practice, shaped by community.

Service Details

My work bridges research, clinical practice, and community care. I collaborate with individuals, organizations, and scholars who are committed to understanding and responding to the realities of loneliness, estrangement, and dying alone.

I bring expertise in both research and practice, grounded in over 15 years of experience as a clinician, nonprofit leader, and direct service provider. My work is informed by lived experience, direct care, and deep engagement with theory and policy. I utilize mixed-methods research approaches, including:

  • Quantitative analysis of datasets and assistance with survey design

  • Qualitative methods such as interviews, policy analysis, and ethnographic approaches

  • Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) in collaboration with community organizations and care providers to obtain patient & client-centered solutions

🔍 Research Collaboration & Partnership

I am currently looking to partner with scholars, hospice teams, No One Dies Alone programs, and community organizations to develop applied research projects and program evaluations related to end-of-life care, loneliness, caregiving systems, and social disconnection.

🎙️ Speaking & Panels

I am available for guest lectures, panel discussions, and workshops. I would be excited to speak on:

  • Family estrangement and caregiving at the end of life

  • Loneliness and social disconnection in aging and dying

  • Ethical tensions in social work and death care systems

  • Therapeutic and community approaches to grief support

  • Ambiguous loss and the grief of dementia caregiving

  • Cultural perspectives on death, dying, and remembrance

My past presentations have included:

  • The Loneliness Epidemic & Hospice: Understanding the Issue and Developing Interventions from Intake to Bereavement Social Work Hospice & Palliative Care Network (SWHPN) Annual Forum, 2025

  • The Loneliness Epidemic: Understanding the Problem and Sourcing Solutions Across the Field of Social Work National Association of Social Workers (NASW) National Conference, 2025

  • Considering Community: Examining Civic Engagement and Well-Being in Late Life Gerontological Society of America, Annual Scientific Meeting, 2025 (with co-authors Stangl, M., Guo, M., Wang, Y.)

  • Until the End: Death as a Social Justice Issue

  • Invisible Longing: Recommendations for Dementia Care and Bereavement

  • What is an End-of-Life Doula?

  • Workshops on ritual, healing, LGBTQ+ elder care, and community-based death care

🗂️ Consultation & Program Development

I provide consultation to social service organizations, hospices, and community care providers seeking to:

  • Improve end-of-life care practices for socially isolated individuals

  • Develop interventions addressing loneliness, grief, and caregiving systems

  • Integrate research methods alongside clinical practice to improve opportunities for funding

  • Implement equitable, community-centered program evaluation and client experience assessments

✏️ Writing, Content Collaboration & Public Scholarship

I collaborate on academic writing, policy analysis, creative content, and public scholarship that elevate underexamined experiences of grief, care, and social disconnection. Past collaborations have included:

  • Policy manuals and training modules for health care and social service agencies

  • Community assessment and survey development

  • Creative workshops and panel series at the intersection of social justice, ritual, and healing

Recent & Ongoing Scholarship

Gil Hayes, L. (2026). Hospice Communication and MAID in Washington State: A Qualitative Case Study of Transparency, Ethics, and Social Work Practice Implications. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 22(1), 11–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/15524256.2025.2601630

Rooney, K., Addison, S. M., Gil Hayes, L. E., Hodge, C., Carman, C., Wilson, A., & Conrad, A. (2026). A systematic review examining the relationship between debt and the mental health outcomes of anxiety, depression and suicidality within the United States. SSM - Population Health, 34, 101915. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827326000170

Let's collaborate!

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Let's collaborate! ✴︎

Let's connect!