Finding Purpose in Life’s Final Moments: The Journey of an End-of-Life Doulaof an End-of-Life Doula
At the age of 15, I began volunteering at a local hospital. A simple act of service helped me find my true calling in hospice. This early experience laid the foundation for what would become my life’s work, caring for individuals in their final stages of life, a journey that led me into hospice care […]
Tree of Life Spotlight
Fall is in the air, and the International Doula Life Movement Tree of Life Conference is getting closer and closer! Over the past several weeks we have taken time to spotlight many of the speakers we are looking forward to having with us at the conference, all with their own unique specialties and points of […]
Five Stages of Grief
In the 1960s, psychologist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross began a controversial project that would become her life’s work: she conducted a series of interviews with people who had been diagnosed with terminal illnesses, to ask them about their thoughts and feelings regarding their impending death. Many people—including doctors—were unsupportive, and even resistant to the work Kubler-Ross wanted […]
Meet: The Hospice Care Plan & Linda McDowell
When people learn you work in end of life care, they say things like, “That’s so interesting,” or “I could never do that.” Sometimes the reaction is positive and sometimes it’s negative, but in both cases there is often an unspoken question—why on earth would you want to do THAT? There are lots of reasons. […]
Death in Pop Culture
This past week I was speaking to an acquaintance, someone I have known for a while but don’t know well. Somehow it came up that I work in end of life care and death planning. The woman’s eyes lit up. “Like Swedish Death Cleaning?” she asked. To be honest, I don’t know much about Swedish […]
Back To School
It’s still hot out, but autumn is right around the corner, and that means back to school time. The tradition of school terms starting in the fall goes back at least a hundred and fifty years in the United States. Schools took summer off because so many of the students came from farming families. They […]
Life Event Rituals
Every human life is filled with rituals, even if we don’t always think of them that way. Small daily rituals like brushing our teeth, weekly rituals of going to church or getting together with friends, annual rituals of celebrating birthdays and holidays. All these rituals, big and small, give shape and order to our lives. […]
Summer Summit 2024
At International Doula Life Movement, our top priority is making sure all of our students have access to in depth, comprehensive training for working with end of life patients. We are proud to say that even our basic course is constantly being enhanced with new information, staying as current as possible with new advances in […]
Dealing With Sudden Death
As doulas, when most of us imagine a case we might work on, I think we generally envision a situation where someone is nearing death but still communicative. We plan on being able to ask them about their wishes and talk with the family about what is going to happen, we prepare ourselves to guide […]
IDLM partners with Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice to train EOL Doulas
Hospice and doulas can benefit one another in so many ways. It is important to remember we are all in this together, to adopt a mindset of teamwork, with an awareness of our clients’ needs and the different strengths we all bring toward filling those needs, as doulas, hospice workers, or whatever other role may be required to bring peace and comfort during the dying process.
