What is a Death Doula? A Death Doula, or End of Life Doula, or Death Midwife is a non-medical and holistic practitioner who guides individuals and their families through the dying process by way of presence, support, advocacy, education, and companionship. Just as birth doulas support mothers birthing a new life, a death doula supports individuals leaving this life into the next.​

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Why would I need a Death Doula? Death Doulas are a calming and reassuring presence with knowledge of the death process and a compassionate resource for families who may be overwhelmed and grieving the impending death of their loved one. They offer a variety of services to assist in the transition of dying, but they are first and foremost a grounding, reliable, knowledgeable, and comforting presence during a most emotional time.

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How are you different from what hospice offers? We highly recommend every individual and family facing a terminal illness and end of life to call their local hospice as soon as possible. Though our doula services do not replace hospice's medical team of nursing and physician care, we complement hospice teams seamlessly. We offer more time, more personalized attention, more continuity at bedside, more advocacy, and more availability beyond what hospice is normally able to provide due to Medicare guidelines. Our extensive training exceeds what hospice volunteer programs provide as each of us have faced in depth our fears and emotions around death. We are trained and practiced to be with intense and difficult emotions. Our full-time presence and companionship at vigil and at death, our advocacy in hospitals or at home, our coaching to customize end-of-life care plans for spiritual, physical, practical and life review needs, and most of all, our consistent relationships with our clients are not a service offered anywhere else.

 

When should I contact a Death Doula? Death Doulas can be contacted at any time during the end-of-life process. The sooner we can enter into the process, the more time can be spent getting to know the individual and family, creating quality care plans, prioritizing end of life needs, and creating sacred space and meaning for the individual and family. *6-3 months gives us time to build relationships slowly without rushing. 6 weeks is a good time to start paying closer attention, so we are not caught off guard. If all you have is a few days, or weeks, we can squeeze a lot in as well. Every family and situation is different. I will make whatever time we have valuable. 

 

What do Doulas charge for their services?  We have structure packages or hourly rates based on the specific services provided, as well as provide a sliding scale, based off need and finances. Each situation is different, and we want to do our best to meet you and your family where you are in your time of need. 

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Please note: Death doulas are non-medical and holistic practitioners, and do not facilitate death. Our primary function is to be in support of and be alongside, individuals in their final transition and release from their physical body. 

 

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