End-of-Life Doula
What does an end-of-life Doula do, and why would you want to hire one?
As with all big events in our lives, it helps to make a plan, to sort through options and choices to move forward in your preferred direction. A Doula can guide you through this major life transition. We are all born, and we are all going to die. An end-of-life doula can offer you the following:
Emotional and Psychological Support
Education and Guidance
Advance Care Planning
Legacy and Life Review Work
Presence During Active Dying
Family Support and Advocacy for your wishes
Spiritual and Ritual Support (if desired)
A doula sits alongside a dying person and their loved ones, knowing that the last breath of life can be as cherished as the first breath at birth.
An End-of-Life Doula is a non-medical role that provides support, options and education while assisting the dying and those around them. A doula upholds the wishes of those at the end-of-life while working alongside family and any medical teams involved. Doulas are there to champion your journey, bringing comfort, support, compassion, and assisting family and friends to work through their process and grief.
In the modern Western world, there has been a trend towards nursing homes and hospitalisation, which can lead to isolation, lack of choice and opportunity for all concerned. Inevitable death often can become a lonely and sombre ‘medicalised’ experience.
Everyone deserves a calm, inclusive, well-informed and self-determined transition no matter where on the spectrum of life’s landscape.
An end-of-life Doula is not a new concept. Many cultures for thousands of years have supported the practice of people staying in their homes to die, looked after by family and community.
Click below to explore our Doula Village Directory, we have many compassionate End of Life Doulas ready to support you.
“Engaging the services of a professional doula seemed like the most natural thing to do when my father unexpectedly died late last year. Having Renee support me through honouring my father’s death in the most dignified and intimate space was a truly cathartic and uplifting experience. Renee’s experience is a gift that enabled me to freely express my feelings and create a pathway to ensure my fathers memory will live in my heart forever”.
Marianne Keevers