10/25/2020
The Essence of the End of Doula Care is to provide Non - Medical, Physical , Emotional and Spiritual support to the clients and their family members through times of critical, transformative life changes.
End of Life Doulas work with and support other caregivers and other members of the Hospice or Pallitive medical team.
The End of Life Doula's mission is to truly listen with undivided attention, provide personalized, non judgmental care to promote the client's growth and the feeling of control over actions and their consequences.
This includes also paying careful attention to the inner well-being of our clients.
End of life Doulas honor life and the mysterious enigma of death.
Some End of Life Doulas have a number of compassionate holistic offerings for the clients. They include
Holistic Touch Therapies like Reiki, Hand Massage using Essential Oils, and Aroma Therapy, Music/
Sound and Color Therapy, Crystal Therapy and Guided Imagery.
These therapies are all part of and effort to help to work through and reduce a client’s pain, anxieties and stress.
End of Life Doulas align with the goals, wishes, and needs of their clients and respect their choices.
Personalization is always key to the clients needs, goals and wishes.
End of Life Doulas are taught to assess with open ended questions to discover a client’s wishes.
End of Life Doulas honor and hold a sacred space.
End of Life Doulas assist in conducting Life Review sessions with clients to validate their life and legacy and
assist with legacy and completion work, as well as advance directives.
End of Life Doulas foster self determination in their clients by assisting them in gathering information and encouraging them to make informed choices that are right for them.
End of Life Doulas provide resource referrals.
For client needs outside of the doula’s scope of practice, the doula makes referrals to appropriate professionals and community resources.
End of Life Doulas help with vigil planning and bed side visitations.
End of Life Doulas support both the dying person and their family network, knowing that by attending to the needs of the loved ones or incomplete life tasks, we enable our clients with more opportunities to consider deeper meaning and connection.
End of Life Doulas expect that different personalities will present at varying points along the spectrum of disbelief, anger, sadness, and acceptance.
End of Life Doulas support both the dying person and their family network, knowing that by attending to the needs of the loved ones or incomplete life tasks, we enable our clients with more opportunities to consider deeper meaning and connection.
End of Life Doulas expect that different personalities will present at varying points along the spectrum of disbelief, anger, sadness, and acceptance.
The components of grief are not good or bad, right or wrong, they just are.
End of Life Doulas meet people where they are as they vacillate, remaining neutral and caring.
End of Life Doulas can help families develop wishes for this often overwhelming period.
Limitations of Practice as a End of Life Doula:
As non medical care providers, End of Life Doulas do not perform clinical tasks [e.g., monitor vital signs, administer medication].
The End of Life Doulas do not giving medical advice and do not persuade clients to follow a specific course of action or treatment.
The End of Life Doula do not impose his/her own values and beliefs on the client.
End of Life Doulas do not undermine their client's confidence in their caregiver(s). Instead, the doula uses good listening skills to support clients who initiate a discussion about dissatisfaction with a caregiver's practice or attitudes.
End of Life Doulas do not usurp the role of other professionals and caregivers such as the hospice nurse, social worker, chaplain, home health aide, etc.
Doulas may be present at the request of the client, but doulas do not facilitate the medical aid in the dying process .
*My personal responsibilities and guide lines as a End of Life Doulas scope of practice:
*Detail to be worked out upon contract and assessment of needs.
My Bio:
Gregory J. Sladovich
since 2002
Gregory who is now a Retired Hospice Volunteer Coordinator at *Care Alternative Hospice/Acend Hospice.
*The hospice, name was changed after a new National CEO management take over.
Shortly after I retiring I returned to Ascend Hospice as a Active Alternative Volunteer and then later as a newly trained End of Life Doula Volunteer.
I knew and understood first hand the challenges and the needs to find and train dedicated and responsible men and woman as hospice volunteers, and I truly miss the work.
Now having newly acquired free time and knowing the great need of volunteer service that hospice offers, I decided to take the opportunity to return and continue servicing those hospice patients who desperately needed the compassionate, and caring support of volunteers who are the back bone of hospice.
*In 2019 I was nominated by the Ascend Hospice National Corporate Director of Volunteers to the National Hospice and
Palliative Care Organizations: Annual National Volunteer of the 2019 Year Award.
I've offen felt that my calling to service on Hospice and as Volunteer and then as End of Life Doula Volunteer was like being -
A Bridge Over Troubled Waters.
My holistic arts studies, knowledge and passion was a bonus for working with hospice and also for working with other alternative volunteers who also had similar interests abilities and passions.
Over the years I had many assignments visiting with hospice patients with most of these debilitating diseases:
Dementia
Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease
Dementia, Frontotemporal
Dementia, Lewy Body
Dementia, Vascular
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – Lou Gehig’s Disease
Quadriplegics
Paraplegic
Cancer/ all types
Stroke
Heart Disease
Diabetes Disease complications
Kidneys Disease
Over the years I have had the opportunity to demonstrate, lecture, and also train others on the benefits of Holistic Therapies at community centers throughout New Jersey, at the NJ/Monmouth County Department of Aged Senior Health Fairs, Senior Centers, Nursing Homes, Hospitals and Holistic Fairs.
Certifications:
*Ascend Hospice AscEnd of Life Doulas Certification under the direction of
Deanna Cochran's Quality of Life Care/End of Life Doula Program .
**UVM Larner College of Medicine, the University of Vermont.
End of Life Doula Program, under the direction of Program Director and Author Francesca Arnoldy
My other Holistic Training Certifications:
Massage Therapist cmt.
Reiki Master/Teacher
Reflexologist
Aroma Therapist
Comfort Touch tm.
Energy Worker: Vibrational, Frequency and Energy Therapy using Crystals, Music/Sound, Color and
Guided Imagery.
During the End of Life Doula training that I took at UVM Larner College of Medicine, the University of Vermont,
one of the assignments was to write your own Obituary and Legacy and one of the questions was to describe what we want others to know about ourselves and did we make a conscious difference in the lives of others and effected a change in them.
This is a part of the answer that I posted on the assignment project:
"I've found that along with my main characteristic trait of stick-to-itiveness and resourcefulness along with being honest, warm hearted, good willed and with a friendly personality, hopefully I might have made some impact on the lives of others, possibly even some changes .
But does anyone ever really know if they have made a difference for sure?"
Gregory
This is the assignment reply from:
*Francesca Arnoldy Program Director
Sticktoitiveness. Such an attribute!
There's a lightness in your reflections.
A contentedness.
A peace.
The only thing you would change is entering into your current state of mind earlier.
To me, that illustrates a true sense of gratitude for where you are.
How wonderful!
*A Complete List of all Certificates and past
References can be Issued upon Request.
**Under current NJ State Law on Assisted Livings and Nursing Homes Visiting during Corona Virus Outbreak :
*Restricting means the individual should not be allowed in the facility at all, until the Department lifts the requirements of this memorandum. Limiting means the individual should not be allowed to come into the facility, except for end-of-life situations.
* Until further notice of the Department of Health, volunteers shall be restricted from the facility and in-home visits.
To discuss further details about my holistic approaches to end of life care. My duties, responsibilities and scope of practice as a End Of End Doula.
