Why You Need a Death Doula

While much of the world has an intimate approach concerning care during severe illness and dying, Western cultures are nearly the opposite. You see, for the last century, we have segregated our old, our ill, and our dying. 

Other than seeing our friends or family in a casket at a funeral home, that’s about as close as many come to an actual dead body. You understand they were ill, and it wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t a part of your daily life. Unless you lived with them, it isn’t easy to comprehend the full impact. 

As a result, we have lost the understanding of how important dying is to living. How could it strengthen bonds and the community? Dying inhibits us from planning for our own needs at the end of our lives and inhibits our ability to help loved ones plan for their ending as well. 

When we are ill, we are vulnerable. We need a guide. That is where the Death Doula or End-of-Life Doula comes in. Your doula will help you look at death honestly and compassionately. We assist you in understanding what you are going through, what is ahead, and the importance of keeping your space calm, positive, and sacred.

We can help create a legacy project—something tangible that you can leave behind for your loved ones. We can help you figure out how you want your last days to look and feel—we will help you design your exit from this world. An end-of-life doula helps the dying person figure out how they want to experience death and how they wish to allow others to experience their death.

A doula understands the importance of all these things to the dying person and their family. We help people understand the event’s importance, how to respect wishes, and how to shift their mindset into good energy during the dying process. We take care of your sacred space for you.

When you are actively dying, we can come and sit with you and your loved ones if you so choose. We will gently guide them while keeping you comfortable, safe, and loved. We can be close or in the background; it is up to those there. We will be looking for changing conditions and supporting all of you.

Watching someone die, even when you anticipate it coming, is a shock. Having someone in the room who can remain calm and guide the family through your wishes is essential.

Such continued attention is not generally possible from your medical team. Hospice is beautiful, but someone will not be there around the clock. This is why the doula practice is such a fantastic compliment to hospice. We fill in those gaps. We fill a very unique space. We aim to help the dying navigate to a peaceful and meaningful death.