End of Life Doula Care
What is a Doula? Doulas are the alpha and omega, the gentle bookends of life’s journey. Just as a birth Doula is there to facilitate entry into this world, an end-of-life Doula is there to facilitate death and the completion of a full and compassionate life.
The end-of-life Doula is there for the last days, weeks, or months to help bring compassion, care, and loving kindness to the end of life’s journey.
What is end-of-life Doula care?
- Logistical planning during and after death
- Conducting rituals or comfortable practices
- Helping a client reflect on their life and values
- Explaining the bodily function of dying to families/caregivers
- To enrich the dying experience for patients’ family members and friends while strengthening the relationship between medical and non-medical support.
Yes. I went through a specific training and certification process for End-of-Life Doulas.
1. Communications and interpersonal skills
2. Professionalism
3. Technical knowledge
4. Values and ethics
Death doulas complement the death care industry. They can provide additional support and community recourses for the deceased and their families. There are laws governing what death doulas can and can not do. Just as with traditional death care.
Funeral Directors interact with families post-death. While end-of-life doulas are present with families before, during, and after death.
Hospice is regulated by Medicare rules limiting staff time. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has put together an end-of-life doula council to share with hospices and families the ways in which they can assist with their work. Hospices hire doulas to complete the team by filling in “the gaps in care” and allowing for the best end-of-life experience.
End-of-life Doulas are here to serve humanity. We serve anyone ranging from young, elderly, terminally ill, healthy, caretakers, and even pets. End of Life Doulas complement the care from hospices and funeral homes by filling in the gaps that occur during the dying process.