Compassionate End-of-Life Care
on the Oregon Coast
Why Use a Death Doula?
Because while death is something we all experience, our experiences with it will be as unique as each of us. Our end-of-life care should reflect that.
Because far too many of us wait until the last moment to plan for our death both emotionally and practically.
Because we each deserve to spend the last months, weeks, days, and hours of our lives in an environment that makes us feel empowered, human, and whole.
A death doula, or end-of-life doula, can help with all of that, and so much more.
How Can a Death Doula Help Me?
Companionship & Comfort
A staggering, and frankly heartbreaking, number of those interviewed during the last months of their life report struggles with loneliness. And there’s no getting around the fact that dying, and the illness that may proceed it, offers ample opportunities for both emotional and physical discomfort. A death doula can be a companion, be someone to talk with frankly about fears, hopes, and all the other feelings you have around death, as well as employ non-medical methods to help with physical discomfort.
Legacy Projects
What do you want to leave behind? How do you want to be remembered? Legacy projects are a way to answer those questions while being intentional about what you leave behind for your loved ones, community, or the greater world. Legacy projects are not just about physical or tangible items. They can also involve transmitting your values, beliefs, and stories to future generations. A death doula can help you find meaning and purpose during your end-of-life journey by assisting with a legacy project that speaks to you.
Swedish Death Cleaning
A death doula can guide you through the process of Swedish Death Cleaning, or “döstädning,” a decluttering philosophy that encourages individuals to sort through their possessions. It posits that removing clutter eases the burden on any loved ones sorting through your estate once you pass on, as well as offers a structure through which to reflect on your life and legacy.
Deathbed Ecosystem
Where do you want to pass away? Who do you want present? What does the room look like, sound like, smell like? You have every right to cultivate a deathbed ecosystem that brings you comfort, peace, even joy. A death doula helps you envision that ecosystem, plan its creation, and bring it into being.
Vigil
A death doula can sit vigil with you in your final days or hours. This includes keeping you company and providing comfort, maintaining the deathbed ecosystem as planned, and supporting any loved ones or other community you wish to have near you at that time.
Respite Care
If you’re navigating the end of your life, whether that’s the last months, weeks, or days, there may be members of your family or community assisting in your care. A death doula offers them support, whether that’s sitting and keeping you company while they grab a shower, walking the dog so it stops bouncing off the walls, or being a friendly ear when they need to just talk to someone for a minute.
The role of a death doula is, simply, to be useful
The services listed on this page are only one version of what a death doula can offer. I don’t come into a relationship with a client with any agenda. What we do, be that projects, planning, passing the time, or something else entirely, is based on what you need from the process.
Morningstar Death Doula 