A death doula is a non-medical person trained to care for someone holistically (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) at the end-of-life. They recognize death as a natural, accepted, and honoured part of life. Death doulas are also known as end-of-life coaches, transition guides, and end-of-life doulas. Although we’ve been dying for thousands of years, it is only in the last…
“How are you?” asks Dr. Cicely Sanders. Then, “And how are you within?” Hospice focuses on the care, comfort, and quality of life of a person with a serious illness who is approaching the end-of-life. It can refer to a place where people go to be cared for as they die, such as a ‘Hospice House’ or ward in a hospital….
A significant number of people will experience a coma in the process of dying. As people approach death, they often enter more or less remote states of consciousness for varying periods of time. These states may appear painful for the one dying and cause grief in loved ones. But coma therapists believe that altered states present opportunities, including a chance…
Before the 1860’s, families and communities took care of their own dead. Historian Mark Harris noted in his book, Grave Matters, that it was after the American Civil War this changed. The bodies of fallen soldiers were routinely embalmed before being transported back to their families in the north. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln’s embalmed body was viewed publicly for two weeks…
Choice in Supports for Independent Living (CSIL) is a program offered in British Columbia. CSIL is an alternative way for people with disabilities in BC to receive home support services. When a person has a life-threatening illness, they may require a substantial amount of care for a period of time. Home support services and palliative care benefits are available and helpful,…