What is an End-of-Life Doula?
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Before death takes away what you are given, give away what there is to give.
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-Rumi-
As an end-of-life doula I guide the person and their loved ones through the dying process. I might get involved soon after a terminal diagnosis, or later on at the point where the dying person’s body is beginning its final breakdown, or even after a death to help loved ones start their time of grieving.
My main intention as an end-of-life doula is to provide emotional, spiritual, and physical support to everyone involved. I listen deeply and compassionately to your concerns, fears, hopes, and life stories to bring peace at the end of your life. I believe in holding sacred space for the kind of dying experience that honors you as the dying person, who you are and have been in your life. My mission is to help you live with purpose up to your final breath.
What does End-of-Life care look like?
I will help you and your loved ones at any time after you have received your terminal diagnosis and I will assist in any planning needed and wanted. An important part of my offering is to help you as the dying person to explore the meaning of your life, create a personal remembrance project with loved ones, and plan for how the last days of your life will unfold. I am committed to finding ways to deliver the quality of life you want as much as possible, given the circumstances of your life and illness.
The vigil time begins when I companion you and your loved ones through the last days and hours of life by providing emotional support, respite and physical assistance for caregivers, an understanding of the signs and symptoms of dying, and advocacy for the wishes and rituals expressed when planning for that point in the illness.
The final phase takes place when when I assist your loved ones in processing and supporting them through their early grief experience in the days or weeks following your death. This work can occur for just a short timeframe or can go on for several months whichever is suitable at that point.