An End of Life Doula in a non-medical person trained to care for someone holistically (physically, emotionally and spiritually) at the end of life. End of Life Doula’s support people in the end of life process, much like a midwife or doula in the birthing process.

Help create positive, empowering end of life plans.

Provide spiritual care, psychological and social support.

Suggest ideas for optimal physical comfort.

Help plan home vigils.

Educate patients and families on the new and progressive options of home wakes, living funerals and natural or green burials. There are also new cremation options that might be of interest.

End of Life Doula’s help in developing rapport, sitting bedside, sitting in the midst of chaos, finding calm, while remaining centered.

Support of the whole person, taking into account a person’s emotional, mental and spiritual needs. Doula’s are trained to assist in three areas of holistic support: Presence, Dignity and Legacy.

Presence: The last phase of our life can stir fear and anxiety as we each face our end-of-life. This is simply because we have not walked this path before. Having someone present with the experience and training in such a time can bring a sense of comfort and familiarity to the otherwise unfamiliar.

Dignity: Everyone wants to have a positive passing where they maintain dignity and honor as they exit life. We all have our own values, traditions, and belief systems that will influence our vision and expectation of what that would look like. Creating an environment that represents that vision is important. This along with developing a legacy and presence work, is what an End-of-Life Doula brings to you and your family.

Legacy Work: What we leave behind is far more than simply wealth and possessions. We can share our story or give wisdom, advice, love, and support even after we have passed. Doulas can help patients with the powerful, uplifting process of developing a legacy plan.

Doula services can range from pre-planning to after-death body care and home viewing celebrations.

Some of the benefits of hiring a Doula include saving money by not making uneducated, knee jerk or last minute decisions. Doula’s can help you avoiding being taken advantage of by imposed systems. Often I remind curious friend’s that just like there are very expensive weddings, there are also very affordable weddings that can be even more meaningful. It all lies in taking the time to make educated choices, as well aw knowing all of the resources available.

End of life Doulas can certainly help with the completion of many of the details associated with end of life planning, including: advance directives, discussion and completion of DNR orders, and power of attorney decisions for example.

A POLST is a process and a form. POLST stands for Portable Medical Orders (there are various names), and is essential for advance care planning and required by most medical settings. A POLST travels with you to ensure all of your needs and desires are met. Including decisions around “CPR or No CPR”, “Call the Ambulance or Do not Call”, and “This is the Care Plan I Want Followed !!!” . These are mostly used by the serious ill at the late stages of life. POLSTS do not replace AHD’s.

ADH, Advance Health Care directives, and typically completed by adults much in advance of needing them. AHD’s only become active if a person is no longer able to speak on their own behalf; while a POLST is active the moment is it signed and directs the actions of all health care professionals in all circumstances.

End of Life Doulas complement the care provided by family members and friends, as well as medical, palliative, and hospice professionals, within the settings of hospitals, senior care facilities, and homes. EOL Doulas support clients with individualized, compassionate care in a number of ways, including emotional, spiritual, informational, and physical support.

This support greatly helps to lower stress levels, aids in comfort, and promotes personalized, even positive, passages for clients and their loved ones. A Doula can help coordinate everone’s well intentioned efforts, and provide meaningful ways to car.

Once we establish a rapport, I can assist with life reviews, that can be informal, such as simply chit chatting and talking; or can be more formal, meaning following a series of prompts, and perhaps even recording those answers through video, audio, or on paper. We can make a scrap book with photographs, or other mementos, that can become a legacy project, which is a beautiful gift for a client’s loved ones to be able to receive.

That’s ok! Trust yourself and your body. I have many ways to slowly and carefully discuss what might make you feel comfortable and safe. I talk with my clients about trusting themselves and their own end of life transition process, making rules and guidelines for loved ones along the way.