Empowering You With Your Wishes

The service plan the client and I develop together is designed to assist with overcoming personal challenges and achieving the client's unique goals in a supportive and non-judgmental environment where we can explore thoughts and feelings about the life-limiting condition together. Emotional support and companionship, assistance with creating an end-of-life plan (including advance directives, legacy projects, and celebration of life), and Dignity Therapy can be important components of our plan. Please note that End-of-Life Doulas do not provide medical care. Instead we complement the work of healthcare providers by addressing the emotional, spiritual, practical and psychosocial needs of the chronically ill or dying person.

I offer guidance and exploration, a listening ear, a compassionate presence and a safe place for open communication, navigating fears, concerns, beliefs, values and wishes surrounding end-of -lifeissues. Help is available with resources and education on the dying process, physical, emotional and spiritual changes which may occur, available options for care (such as hospice or palliative care), grief, anticipatory grief, bereavement, cremation, burial, and green options. Facilitation of meaningful rituals and ceremonies can also be included in the service plan.

Assistance with practical tasks such as organizing documents, coordinating appointments, and facilitating communication with family members, other loved ones, and caregivers are offered. Resources can be provided for housekeeping, pet care, food delivery, musicians, bedside reading and games, and legacy projects. Legacy work can help the client to reflect on their unique life and experiences  while leaving a meaningful legacy. I can assist with letter writing, recording memories, creating artwork and jewelry for loved ones, and planning special events to honor the individual's life, loves, and spirit.

We can work together to explore and document the individual's wishes regarding medical interventions, life sustaining treatments and other choices. I can assist with promoting physical comfort by helping to provide a soothing environment, meditation, music and play lists, and more. I can also assist with conversations with healthcare professionals to ensure that pain management and symptom relief are optimized. Sitting vigil at the end-of-life is an important part of doula's care. No one has to die alone.

After the death of a loved one, I can continue to offer support to the bereaved family be through grief education, assisting with memorial planning and connecting families with additional resources such as ongoing grief support groups or therapists. My primary goal is to ensure a dignified and compassionate end-of-life experience for the dying person and their loved ones by promoting a sense of peace, comfort, and acceptance during this profound transition.