Anyone nearing the end of life can benefit from a death doula, we can begin working with patients and/or their families at any point in the death process. Some will choose to engage with an end-of-life doula as soon as they learn of a terminal diagnosis or receive a prognosis with limited time, though doulas are not bound to the six-month-or-less prognosis that hospices must abide by.
Others will choose to integrate a death doula when they are closer to death, using their services for emotional and spiritual peace during a more difficult phase. Others still may engage a doula after the death of a loved one for support through the grieving process.
Doula services can be provided alone or in conjunction with traditional healthcare services—like hospice or palliative care —to enhance the patient and family’s experience.