What is a Death Doula and Why Do We Need Them?

The state of Palliative Care in Ontario is one reason why we need death doulas.  

Photo from Wix.

The statistics for our dying brothers and sisters are not good:

• 75% of dying people want to die at home, sadly most die in hospital

• 15% of Canadians have access to palliative care

• 47% (half of all people) die before getting into hospice care

• 3 of 5 Canadian care physicians are NOT prepared for people in need of palliative care

The cost for building a new hospice in Canada is approximately $20 million dollars. This has to be done through fundraising, sadly. With the statistics showing that most Canadians would like to die at home, a death doula will provide this support. Also, as far as the medical system, it would save money from the costs of the hospitals, doctors, nurses, equipment, beds, etc. Ethically, it would be kinder to the dying and their families.

The second major reason is, we need to normalize death.  

Have you noticed whenever anyone talks about death everyone wants to change the subject. It has become a “faux-pas" to talk about death! Death is a normal part of our life cycle and needs to be talked about, not only to normalize it through every stage of our lives, but to help those who are close to it. Dying is the natural course of all our lives, we will all die. There is great need for improvement. This should be an organized, kind, and compassionate time for the dying and their family. Instead, for most people it is confusing, frustrating and cold.  

Death doulas help with the dying and their families by helping with legacy work, death planning, sitting vigil and grief/bereavement support.

Death doulas are trained in helping fill in the gaps at the end of life. They help collaborate with the medical caregivers, community and families providing knowledge, choices and empowerment. A good solution for better palliative care would be to make it standard practice to put in place dying at home the normal with a Death Doula and all that would be available from a hospice. 

Please contact Home Hospice Association if you need any further information or a death doula in your area. Let's all normalize death so we may be able treat all our loved ones with the kindness, compassion and dignity they deserve in their final days.

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Kimberly Hunter-Gafur is a graduate of the HHA Death Doula Certificate Program.