Light at the End of Life Doula Service

My name is Patti Newell and I am a certified End-of-Life Doula serving the Central New York area.

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​I have received my training through two prestigious end-of-life doula training organizations: INELDA (the International End-of-Life Doula Association), and  Doulagivers (the International Doulagivers Institute).

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With my training, I can check the dying person's home environment for any safety issues and then work with the family to remedy these issues, I can sit vigil with the dying person so the family and main caregivers can have a chance to rest, and I can work to help the dying person achieve the best passing possible, however they define it.

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As an End-of-Life Doula, I have promised to uphold and maintain the highest standards of professional integrity, to represent myself as competent within the boundaries of my training, to discriminate against no one, and to protect and maintain the privacy and confidentiality of those I serve.

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As your doula I will:
 

· Show up with an heart full of respect, compassion, and kindness.

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· Pass no judgment about the wishes of the dying person and their family.

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· Push no agenda, except for that of the dying person.

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· Offer my best service to the dying person and their loved ones.

 

​In addition to my service as an End-of-Life Doula, I am also an ordained inter-faith minister and a Reiki master. And I hold a certificate in Clinical Aromatherapy.

A Certified End-of-Life Doula is a trained non-medical caregiver who offers holistic emotional, spiritual, and physical support to someone who is in the last stages of life. It is the  job of an End-of-Life Doula to be a comforting and supportive companion to the dying person and their loved ones.

 

Because we are trained in end-of- life care, the doula is an educational resource for the dying person and their family, who can explain what the dying person is experiencing and offer appropriate suggestions for their comfort and to help lower their fear and stress.

An End-of-Life Doula:

 

· Helps the dying person to maintain their dignity, autonomy, and control over their lives, whenever possible, in the face of their decline.
 

· Serves as a companion and support person for the dying person and their loved ones throughout the end-of-life experience.

 

· Educates the person and their loved ones through the entire end of life journey regarding the end-of-life processes and the options available to them so that they can make informed decisions about their care.

 

· Assists the person to create Advanced Directives -- documents that outline the dying person's wishes for their healthcare and names the people they want to be able to make medical decisions for them should they become unable to speak for themselves.

 

· Advocates for the dying person's wishes.

· Suggests options available for the dying person's comfort.
 

· Helps the dying person to find meaning in their life and what their contribution was to this life.

 

· Facilitates the resolving of their unfinished business.

 · Assists in end-of-life and vigil planning.

· Aids in creating legacy projects and remembrances.

 

. Collaborates with the hospice, palliative team, and other healthcare professionals to create a dynamic support system, ensuring the highest quality of life for a person's end-of-life care.

An End-of-Life Doula does not:

 

· Replace your hospice or palliative care team. And so, an End-of-Life Doula does not perform any medical tasks, such as administering any medication-including any OTC medications, provide wound care, take blood pressure or temperature readings, or insert or remove a catheter.

 

· Replace your home healthcare aide. An End-of-Life doula may not help bathe, dress, toilet or change incontinence products, or feed the dying person.

 

· Make any decisions related to the dying person's end-of-life care.