Whispers of…
End of Life Journeys
Death doulas (or end-of-life doulas) are a relatively new practice in Canada, starting around 2016. Similar to a birth doula who would assist as we start this life, a death doula assists as we leave this life behind. As this is such a new vocation, the scope of the death doula is very broad and different death doulas focus on many different aspects of the trade.
The End of Life Doula Association of Canada, as well as the Death Doula Ontario Network are both good resources to get more information on this profession.
End of Life Services
My mission is to assist clients and their families as they transition through the final chapter of this lifetime, utilizing empathy, spiritual connection and the healing modality of reiki on several planes: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
My services include discussing and implementing an Advance Care Plan, developing and assisting with legacy work, supporting the client and the family’s needs when the client is actively dying and helping with any arrangements that need to be considered once death has occurred.
For clarification, a death doula does not provide medical services or Personal Support Worker (PSW) services. The doula's role is to offer emotional, physical, and spiritual support during the end-of-life process, but they are not trained to provide any medical care.
Services
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Advance Care Planning
An Advance Care Plan is a document that outlines your wishes when you are unable to speak for yourself. It provides loved ones with comfort in knowing your wishes, when they have to act on your behalf.
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Legacy Work and Companionship
Sometimes death can be inconvenient. Legacy work helps those that are dying to finish things that they feel need finishing and also, can give them a sense of closure. These projects can be anything from writing letters or compiling photos to making videos or leaving something of their life behind for others to hold onto.
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Actively Dying
When someone begins the process of actively dying, it can be very draining and taxing on the family. Sometimes, family members are torn with obligations to their own life and also to the death of their loved one. During this time, I can support the family by filling in when they are unable to be present and also after death, with funeral or celebration preparations.
FAQ’s
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A phone consultation is required initially to assess which service would be most beneficial. This consultation is free of charge, but is limited to one hour.
Based on the services needed and the client's location, we may agree on either an hourly or per diem rate. Travel costs may apply if the location is beyond a 20 km radius.
My hourly rate is $50/hour and my per diem rate for a 6 hour session is $250.
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Generally, the best time to contact a Death Doula is when you or your loved one has received a life limiting diagnosis or when something has occurred that brings the journey of death to the forefront.
Feel free to call me to discuss your situation anytime and we can chart this course together!
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A life limiting diagnosis is given when a medical professional advises you or your loved one that time is limited to less than one year.
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When someone is described as actively dying, it means that death is not far away. This can be different for everyone and the time remaining is also unique to each individual. Generally, the person has stopped eating and drinking and may be comatose - or not.
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A person is considered to be vigil sitting when keeping company with a person that is actively dying. Many families don’t like to leave their loved one alone at this point in their life and that can be difficult sometimes when trying to balance other responsibilities. This is another good example of when a Death Doula can be very supportive, helping to sit with your loved one and also, to support the family in identifying the different stages of the progression towards death.
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Many people like the idea of continuing to participate in their family’s life by writing letters for certain occasions in the future. Depending on what was important in the person’s life, compiling photos or recipes or stories might be a nice way to be remembered. Sometimes, making videos for people to enjoy for many years is a nice way to be remembered. Legacy work is a unique way people would like to be remembered, it can be tangible, like a photo or letter or it can be verbal, like a video or anything in between.
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This is a plan that will be used when something has happened that your loved one can not communicate their wishes to you. Often, this may happen suddenly and family members need to make big decisions quickly and under great stress. It is much easier and much less stressful to have a plan in place that advises the family members of your wishes in these circumstances. These plans need to be revised every 5-10 years as people change during the course of their life.
