The Benefits of a Death Doula

What Are Death Doulas?

The word “doula” comes from the Greek word for “female slave” or helper, but for about sixty years has evolved to refer to the practice of helping with childbirth as a non-medical companion. Similarly, in recent years, thousands have been trained to accompany the dying through the end-of-life experience.

“Death doulas,” also known as “end-of-life doulas,” are, in essence, “death midwives.” While the profession is primarily filled with women, an increasing number of men have entered the field as it has expanded.

What Do Death Doulas Do?

Death doulas take on a large responsibility, caring for our loved ones during the last stretch of their lives. A death doula may work as a volunteer and is often associated with a nonprofit or hospice organization. But many death doulas are professionals with certifications and charge for their assistance.

Death doulas work as a companion and advocate to the dying. However, death doulas are not health care professionals or trained social workers. They help with the non-medical assistance a person may need at the end-of-life, such as:

• Work through making decisions
• Assist with navigating medical systems
• Provide emotional support
• Talk about death and grief
• Offer support to both the patient and their family
• Offer continuous care
• Help with creating a “vigil plan” for the final moments 

The role of a death doula is separate from that of hospice staff, but some propose that they could work more closely together in the future.

Finding a Death Doula

There’s no official, overarching governmental organization or licensing agency that regulates death doulas, but there are several non-profits that offer training and certifications. There is also no standard way to train death doulas. Because of this, be sure to do your research as you would for any other business by asking for referrals, checking online reviews, and asking your hospice or healthcare providers for suggestions.

The National End-of-Life Doula Alliance offers a directory of providers, as does INELDA.

Becoming a Death Doula

Anyone can be a death doula, and if you are interested, various organizations throughout the nation train and prepare doulas. One program, INELDA (The International End of Life Doula Association), has trained more than 7,500 doulas since 2015. The University of Vermont also offers an 8-week course. Your local library or a web search will yield even more options.

These programs are offered on-site or online. Some choose to learn these skills in preparation to support those around them, rather than as a profession; Understanding and conveying empathy, compassion, and death positivity are transferable skills, and anyone can practice them. The goal of a death doula is to soothe and reassure the individual, without ignoring their needs. Death doulas learn to embrace death as something natural, normal, and most of all, inevitable.

Additional Resources from Tulip

Doulas provide an additional layer of support for you or a loved one at the end of life. At Tulip Cremation, we want to be another resource for you during your most difficult moments. Whether you're preparing for the future, the next six months, or the immediate future, we offer a simple and affordable direct cremation service. Whenever you are ready, you can reach out to our 24/7 Family Care Team at (844) 942-4909, or you can arrange online services if you prefer. We invite you to explore our grief support articles that offer comfort and guidance before, during, and after a loss.