END OF LIFE PLANNING, ADVOCACY & CARE
If it takes a village to raise a child, it certainly takes one at the other end of life to “die well”.
As an end-of-life/death doula, I can walk alongside a person, their family and friends to help with end-of-life planning, advocacy and support.
Death doulas are not medically trained. We complement the care provided by medical and allied health professionals, including doctors and palliative care specialists.
Death doulas are comfortable talking about death and dying and knowledgeable about processes such as Advanced Care Plans, Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) and how to support someone to die at home. We can help people and their families to fill in the gaps between different specialities and care providers during the dying process.
Death doulas can provide care and support to people and their families in their home (including aged care homes), hospital, hospice or anywhere else they live.
ABOUT ME
WHO
I live in Fairfield with my husband, daughter, two Golden Retrievers, a cat and a horse. I am a social scientist by training and lived and worked in a number of countries in Asia-Pacific, benefitting from learning about different cultures, customs and worldviews. I have lived with chronic fatigue and pain since I was a teenager, spending long periods of time bed bound or house bound.
WHY
I know what it is like to lose mobility and independence. I am a palliative care volunteer and together with my dog, Phil, I volunteer as part of Delta therapy dogs visiting people in aged care. I had the privilege of supporting my Dad to die at home via Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD). These experiences have shaped my interest and passion to be of service to those at or near the end-of-life.
I am passionate about supporting people to live a life that is meaningful to them - right up until the end. I do this by empowering them with knowledge, advocating for their needs and wishes, and ensuring they have access to appropriate care – covering emotional, spiritual, social, and practical needs.
EDUCATION
While there is currently no regulation or formal certification covering end-of-life doulas, I draw on my education as a social scientist, my personal attributes and my lived experience, in addition to completing the following training courses with noted end-of-life practitioners:
End of Life Doula Training: Foundation Course (9 hours) – Helen Callanan, Preparing the Way (https://preparingtheway.com.au/foundation-workshop/)
Death Doula training (10 weeks/40 hrs) – Denis Love, Life Options (https://www.deniselove.net/)
Deathwalker training (3 days/20 hours) – Zenith Virago
In my work as a death doula, I am committed to life-long learning and practice. I collaborate with local death doulas as part of the Melbourne Inner North End-of-Life Doula Hub and host death cafes and other events to increase death literacy.
Compassionate
Ethical
Respectful
Open-minded and non-judgemental
Inclusive (religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation, neurodiversity)
Comfortable talking about, and being around, death and dying
I AM…
RESOURCES
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SERVICES
I can provide a range of services depending on your needs and my availability, including:
Facilitating one-on-one and group conversations about death and dying (including Death Cafes and Advance Care Planning)
Advocating for a person’s wishes about end-of-life care (including ceasing treatment, wanting to die at home, accessing Voluntary Assisted Dying, etc).
Coordinating, collaborating and facilitating care between medical professionals, carers, family and friends (and help to fill any gaps)
Guiding and mediating conversations about a person’s wishes and choices regarding death and dying
Helping roster support and managing communication with family and friends
“Holding space” for people as they process feelings and emotions
Companionship and care at the end of life (including being present as someone dies, if they want)