It can be easy to confuse end-of-life doula work with other end-of-life care professions. While their work overlaps, there are four very important differences.
First of all, an EOL doula provides services that complement, not replace, Hospice and palliative care teams. This comes primarily in the form of emotional, practical, and educational support, while Hospice and palliative care teams provide medical care. It’s very important to understand that EOL doulas do not provide medical care. They do not monitor vital signs, administer medication, change wound dressings, or provide medical advice or recommendations. They also cannot pronounce the time of death. They can, however, help clients and families navigate medicine and care-taker schedules.
Second, EOL doulas are not funeral home directors. They cannot transport the body. EOL doulas, however, can support the family in their desire to do after-death care. They can also assist families in writing obituaries and making funeral plans.
Finally, EOL doulas cannot act as legal representation. They cannot act as a lawyer or financial planner. They can, however, refer clients to the appropriate legal representative.They cannot sign documents on behalf of clients or make legal decisions for them. They can, however, support clients in the decisions they make for themselves and remind them of those decisions.
At the end of the day, EOL doulas help to fill in the gaps in care for dying individuals. Hospice and palliative care teams often do not have time in their busy schedules to provide clients and families with all the emotional, practical, and educational support that is needed. This is where the end-of-life doula comes in. They have the time and skills to lean into these needed spaces.
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