Intercultural Communication as a Tenet of Care
In service at the end of life, at a time of great vulnerability and tenderness, a Death Doula exercises a deep awareness of cultural differences and the competency to adapt when needed. We can encounter differences in perception, values, communication styles, and norms.
What is a vigil plan?
When a person is dying they will experience a period of time when they are “actively dying”. This refers to the time when the person’s body begins to shut down and they have begun the process of transitioning into death. It is not uncommon for this to last for many hours, several days, and in some cases even longer. During this time the person is often in and out of consciousness or unresponsive. This is the opportunity for you and your family hold a vigil. A death doula can help this process go smoothly, from planning and for the duration of the vigil.
Companioning: A Compassionate Approach to End of Life Care Giving
Companioning is a term that has been applied to many different fields over the years, but has gained significant traction within the deathcare landscape at present nodding to the therapeutic benefits this approach has offered the bereaved.
Expert Dr. Alan Wolfelt, has developed a comprehensive approach to assisting those who are bereaved through the practice of companioning. Wolfelt advocates moving beyond the medical model’s approach to care, which prioritizes the assessment, analyzation, and resolution of other’s grief. Instead, companioning offers caregivers the opportunity to act as a witness, a soul guardian to those who are mourning.
Hospitality is a primary component at the core of companioning. When we provide hospitality, we bring comfort to another by being fully present and thus developing a sense of familiarity with the personal stories, needs, desires of another.