Leaving Peacefully: Compassionate End of Life Care
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Frequently Asked Questions:

What is an End of Life Doula and Why Would I Want One?

The word "doula" means "one who serves", so an End of Life Doula is a person who serves the dying and their family.  Typically, an End of Life Doula is a lay person who is comfortable with death and dying and is able to be both a healing presence and a source of practical help to people facing the end of life. They are a companion who assists the dying in both practical and intangible ways. That can be anything from explaining end of life options and choices, helping to organize care at home, being a source of emotional and spiritual support for both patient and caregiver, spending time with the dying person so the family can have time for themselves, helping plan a funeral or memorial service to sitting vigil with the family or anything in between. Perhaps a caregiver would like to spend all the time they can with their loved one, so a doula may be able to do errands or chores to make that time possible. It is all about helping in any way possible to make a difficult time a bit easier.

I have Hospice Care, do I still need an End of Life Doula?
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A better question is can I have both Hospice and an End of Life Doula, and the answer is yes! Hospice is an excellent and important service and makes a huge difference at the end of life. It is something I recommend to everyone. Sometimes, people want more care than Hospice is able to provide. One way to look at it is that Hospice cares for many patients at a time, while an End of Life  Doula cares for one person at a time, allowing for more personalized care. An End of Life Doula cannot take the place of a good Hospice program, but they can fill in some of the gaps in Hospice care. 

Does insurance cover the services of an End of Life Doula?
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Unfortunately, insurance does not yet cover the cost of an End of Life Doula. Because everyone deserves compassionate end of life care,  I have a sliding scale and I encourage you to discuss any financial concerns with me.
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