Birth doulas assist new moms with the stress, uncertainty and anxiety of childbirth, while another type of doula offers similar support to those who are dying.
Death doulas, or end-of-life specialists, give spiritual and emotional support to people nearing death in a nonmedical setting. The word ‘doula’ comes from the Greek word ‘doule,’ meaning ‘female helper.’
Kim Burgess, end-of-life doula and board certified adult geriatric nurse practitioner for Comforting Transitions, an elder care facility in O’Fallon, said fulfilling a dying person’s wish to be in their desired setting is important.
“When I was in the home, primarily geriatric population, people wanted to stay in their home; the comfort of their home, their own surrounding, their own food, their own loved ones,” Burgess explained. “I loved to being able to support people in that role.”
Training to become an end-of-life doula happens in workshops, with required reading and work-study assignments. Since it is not a federally recognized field, insurance companies do not cover the services. The Illinois Department of Public Health said in 2022, Cook County alone saw nearly 46,000 deaths. Almost 20,000 were between ages 65 and 84.
Death, or what is sometimes called “the other side,” can produce feelings of fear, or a sense of denial, especially if a terminal condition has been diagnosed. Burgess observed it is a 24-hour job for loved ones helping someone in their final days or weeks. She has encountered families who are unprepared for the caregiving needs.
“A lot of times, their family is saying, ‘We’re just overwhelmed, and we have hospice involved, but we still feel like we need some more support,"” Burgess recounted. “An end-of-life doula can be there, giving the family reassurance or making some slight suggestions on how to comfort their loved one.”
Doulas can also help plan an advance directive, instructions a person can leave behind about their funeral service or cremation, what to do with a pet or help writing a loving message to family and friends.