A guest post shared by Suzanne O'Brien of Doulagivers.com, So Much to Appreciate Even With Everything Going On....
With all due respect to those struggling with the seriousness of the coronavirus and the difficulties of quarantining...this is a reminder of support people the world over to ease
the time of serious illness, a progression of decline or dying, the death process and helping the family and loved ones after one's passing... (That's from me, Catherine Palmer Paton,
and I got to take the training offered by Suzanne O'Brien, RN and Oprah Ambassador now...who is bringing awareness to the need and skills for End of Life Doulas & Life Care Specialists.)
HAPPY NATIONAL DEATH DOULA DAY April 20th!!
What is Death Doula Day?
The day is set aside for Death Doulas to engage their communities bringing awareness to the profession and benefits for patients and families. An End of Life Doula is a non-medical person trained to care for someone holistically (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) at the end of life. End of Life Doulas are also known around the world as: end of life coaches, soul midwives, transition guides, death coaches, death doulas, doula to the dying, end of life doulas, death midwives, thanadoula, and end of life guides. Death Doula Day is a day where we recognize the positive impact these individuals can have during the end of life process.
This day is created to raise awareness about the profession of Death Doulas and how they can benefit patients and families at end of life.
Death Doulas provide the additional support that families need in order to feel comfortable with taking care of their dying loved one at home. They are non-medical professionals that provide holistic support for the dying and their loved ones before, during, and after death. Trained in the various end of life stages, a Doula is able to assist the family with understanding the natural processes while providing comfort and support.
This is the day where all Death Doulas can rise together and be a voice for social change at end of life, ensuring everyone has he most positive passing possible.
How should this day be celebrated or observed? On Death Doula Day we encourage the conversation about the profession of Death Doulas. This can be done anywhere in anyway. Have fun with it! Post/tweet/market/share, have a discussion panel, show a documentary, give a training, host a Death Café – Anything to do with end of life.
