Death Doula Services
End-of-life doula support for the dying and their families in Orange County and Newport Beach.
How we Support In Home Hospice Care
A death doula, sometimes called an end-of-life doula or death midwife, brings comfort, companionship and guidance to a person who is dying and to the people who love them. Our death doula services give your loved one a dedicated doula for the dying, someone whose only focus is their comfort and wishes. Because KTMS is also an in-home nursing provider with 11 years of experience, your family gets emotional support and clinical understanding from one team.
What is a Death Doula?
A death doula is a trained, non-medical companion who supports a dying person and their family through the end of life. Just as a birth doula supports a family through birth, a death doula (also known as an end-of-life doula or death midwife) provides emotional, practical and spiritual support before, during and after death.
What Does a Death Doula Do?
A death doula helps the dying person and their family plan for, prepare for and move through the end of life. Support often includes:
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Offering a calm, steady presence at the bedside
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Talking through fears, wishes and what matters most
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Helping put wishes in writing and a plan for the final days
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Legacy projects such as letters, recorded stories or memory books
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Creating a peaceful setting at home with music, lighting, readings or rituals
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Vigil sitting during the final hours so family members can rest
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Guiding the family on what to expect and giving them respite
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Grief support for the family after the death
Death Doula vs. Hospice: What’s the Difference?
Hospice is a medical benefit: a team of doctors, nurses, aides and social workers manages pain and symptoms, usually when a person has a prognosis of six months or less. A death doula does not replace hospice. A doula fills the non-medical gaps, including more time at the bedside, planning, emotional and spiritual support, and care for the family, and can begin at any point after a serious diagnosis. Many families use both together.
Because KTMS also provides private duty nursing, we can coordinate with your hospice team and add round-the-clock nursing care if your family needs it.
