The Doula Model of care
End of Life Doulas provide non-judgemental, non-medical, holistic care, to people of all ages, and at all stages of life, including those who are advancing in age, or living with chronic or acute life-limiting illness, and those supporting them.
Services may be practical, educational, emotional, spiritual, cultural or social – depending on what the person needs at that time.
Doulas provide a continuum of care, from whichever part of the journey they come on board. Building trust, and providing compassionate, respectful care of the person in their final life’s chapter, and their whānau.
We work wherever we are needed – in a person’s home, hospice, hospital, care home, etc.
Services Doulas may offer
Advance Planning Conversations
This is for everyone. Whether you are well, or living with illness, telling someone your wishes is important.
Does anyone know what you want if you suffer an accident or medical event from which you are unable to communicate? Are you aware that there are many options for what happens after you die?
Doulas are trained to facilitate ‘Advance Care Planning’ sessions, where they can share their knowledge around all the options we have these days for how we hope our lives, and our deaths, may look. As well as helping to create a personal and meaningful post-death experience for those who love you.
Conversations lead to a written plan. Conversations help unite families and friends. Conversations Matter.
Post Diagnosis Support
Receiving a diagnosis that your life is not going to be as long as you expected, or wished, is overwhelming, and scary. You may not have even heard most of the conversation with your Doctor, and you certainly may not know what to do next.
Doulas can:
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Assist the person and the family to understand the prognosis and realise anticipatory grief
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Be a presence - nurture, calming, and provide emotional support. Listen and hold space for the person to really share their fears and worries.
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Work alongside the multi-disciplinary health team and palliative care providers – add to the circle of care, and help to fill unmet needs.
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Explore which treatment options are available and desirable for future quality of life, and, if applicable, dying well.
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Identify resources needed and make referrals.
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Create a communication plan with all parties.
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Create a life plan – including short and long term goals – for the person’s remaining time. This might include a life story, a bucket list, emotional will, activities, legacy documents etc.
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Provide practical and logistical support where required
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Provide comfort measures
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Advocate for the person when they can no longer communicate
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Attend vigil in the final days of life, guiding and supporting the family
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Identify funeral preferences in line with person’s religious, spiritual and cultural beliefs and plan for these.
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Offer a broad suite of options for what will happen after death.
After Death Care
Whether a person dies after a period of illness, a long life, or as a result of an unexpected event, it is always sad and overwhelming. Doulas can walk beside you and share knowledge and options as you decide what’s next.
Doulas can:
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Support the care of the person at home if required
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Create loving and meaningful ritual during that time
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Liaise with providers for funeral and other services
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Guide the family with organising a funeral or memorial
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Assist with legal documentation
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Connect family to grief and bereavement support
Community Workshops & Initiatives
A Doula's work extends into the community, with particular focus on education and conversation.
Doulas can facilitate
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Advance Care Planning Workshops
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Death Cafés
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Dying Matters Week
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Other initiatives
All of which are helping to bring the conversations about dying and death out in the open.
Doulas do not
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Administer medication
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Diagnose
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Give medical support or provide clinical care
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Project their own beliefs and wishes upon the client/whanau
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Give advice – instead they provide options and solutions for you to consider
How do Doulas charge?
The cost for Doula services is dependent on many factors and individually set by each Doula. Most offer a sliding scale of fees, or packages to suit the needs and budget of the Client.
However, we understand that some cannot afford to pay for care, and in order to meet our goals of equitable and accessible end of life care for all, we will endeavour to work out a suitable plan which suits everyone.
Compassionate and competent support through the end of life experience is priceless. However if you really have a financial need, discuss this with your Doula.
Principles of dying well.
• To know when death is coming, and to understand what can be expected
• To be able to plan what you want to happen
• To be afforded dignity and privacy
• To manage pain and other symptoms
• To have choice and manage where death occurs (at home or elsewhere)
• To have access to information and expertise of whatever kind is necessary
• To have access to any spiritual or emotional support required
• To have access to hospice care in any location, not only in hospice
• To have control over who is present and who shares the end
• To be able to issue advance directives which ensure wishes are respected
• To have time to say goodbye, and be able to control other aspects of timing
• To be able to leave when it’s time to go, and not have life prolonged pointlessly