Time Magazine article dated 1/26/2022 discusses the growth movement of death doulas in the USA. Link: https://time.com/6128469/death-doulas-covid-19-pandemic/

A foundational book by Henry Fersko-Weiss who co-founded INELDA shares stories of how he became a death doula, created doula programs in two hospice organizations, and how he works with his clients.  Whether you are interested in becoming a death doula or wondering if a death doula might be a good fit for yourself or a dying loved one, this book will provide insights in how death doulas function at the end of life. The full title: Finding Peace at the End of Life: A Death Doula’s Guide for Families and Caregivers and can be purchased at all major booksellers.

NEDA’s mission is inspire positive, creative change in American death practices by creating high standards, ethical and practical guidelines, and rich networking opportunities for all EOLDs, resulting in meaningful experiences for the dying, their caregivers, and the agencies involved. Their website provides resources and a directory to find doulas. https://www.nedalliance.org

BJ Miller’s Ted Talk about nearly dying and becoming a triple amputee has more than 15 million views. He is a palliative care physician, has worked for the innovate Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, is an advocate for the positive death movement.

His most recent endeavor is Mettle Health. The website describes their services:

“We are a team of doctors, nurses, social workers and chaplains who have also been patients and caregivers. With more than 100 combined years of experience in clinical care, we understand the strengths and the limitations of the healthcare system. We can’t change a diagnosis, but we can change the way you navigate it.”

MettleHealth seems like a trend that may become predominant in the healthcare industry.

Dr. Kerr is a hospice doctor and author of the book, Death is but a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at the End of Life which elucidates what he has learned from dying patients.

His 2015 Ted Talk has received nearly 5 million views. Dr. Kerr has conducted substantive research about pre-death dreams and visions people experience before death.

Compassion and Choices  is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving care, expanding options and empowering everyone to chart their end-of-life journey.

Here is their vision statement: We envision a society that affirms life and accepts the inevitability of death, embraces expanded options for compassionate dying, and empowers everyone to choose end-of-life care that reflects their values, priorities, and beliefs.

Five Wishes is a website dedicated to end-of-life planning. There are forms for legal documents and for creating the discussion about last wishes. The forms are either electronic or printed and can be purchased for a small amount of money which keeps the organization afloat. 

Here’s a podcast episode from End-of-Life University interviewing Joanne Eason, President of Five Wishes, who describes in detail what they offer.

An advanced directive is an umbrella term for a health care proxy or living will which is a document that designates a trusted person to make medical decisions for a person who is not able to make their own decisions. EVERYONE – young, old, healthy or health challenged should have an advanced directive. Here is a link to Cake’s resources with articles that define terms and provide an online tool to make your own living will by the state you live in. https://www.joincake.com/blog/category/advance-directives-and-living-wills/

Again, here are Cake’s resources for estate planning and wills: https://www.joincake.com/blog/category/wills-and-estate-planning/

Here is an article from NOLO, a credible do-it-yourself legal website, on the cost of estate planning: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/the-cost-of-estate-planning-how-much-will-you-pay.html

Here is a FREE template from eforms.com to write a simple will. https://eforms.com/wills/ohio-last-will-and-testament-template/

Here is a helpful article from FindLaw discussing differences between wills and estate planning which outlines the importance of pre-death planning:  https://www.findlaw.com/estate/planning-an-estate/the-most-important-differences-between-wills-and-estate-planning.html

There are several approaches to find an attorney. First, ask trusted friends, family members or business associates who they would recommend. Second, vet their recommendations using online research, the Better Business Bureau and look at the lawyer’s website. Third, call the lawyers office and ask questions about their background, fee schedule, etc. and assess your “gut feel.” It’s helpful to have a ballpark idea of what the cost will be for the services needed to help you assess the lawyer’s legitimacy.

Findlaw.com has a comprehensive list of lawyers which can be sorted by specialty and location. Here is a list of estate planning attorneys in the Cincinnati area from Findlaw.com

The Cincinnati Estate Planning Council is a local chapter of the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils. They have a directory of inter-disciplinary professionals who engage in estate planning from a variety of roles and functions. A link to the Services Directory is here.

Obituaries are notoriously difficult to write in the aftermath of someone’s death. Why not write your own living obituary with life highlights that are important to you. For a modest fee, the website allows people to create a living document that can be changed and updated as life changes and evolves. Email addresses can be added so that upon your death, the appropriate people and organizations will be notified. They also offer help in writing your obituary and workshops if you want to learn more. Learn more here: https://www.mylivingobituary.com

Listen to an excellent podcast interview at End-of-Life University with the founders of My Living Obituary, here: https://eolupodcast.com/2022/04/25/ep-348-my-living-obituary-legacy-therapy-at-the-end-of-life-with-maggie-gannon-and-heidi-connolly/?mc_cid=dbe94c4b0f&mc_eid=6c3086a1c0

Most funeral homes encourage pre-planning and paying for one’s funeral in advance of death. The obvious pro is that family members will not have to deal with the stress of funeral planning in the midst of grieving and processing the death. However, there are some cautionary considerations to examine before paying for funeral costs in advance. Here is a throrough article from Cake.com.

Also from Cake.com, an article about cremation services, Pre-Paid Cremation Services Explained: Cost, Process and Planning.

This documentary film was created by Sean S. Cunningham who is a noted Hollywood director, especially for horror films like Friday the 13th. He met Michelle Lasota at a fan convention where she was assigned to be his assistant. Sean realized that Michelle has real wisdom as a hospice nurse and made this short documentary. It’s an informative film about the meaning and heart of hospice and how it works. Amazing stories! Link: https://www.thenursewiththepurplehair.com

Palliative care focuses on preventing and alleviating suffering and improving quality of life when suffering a serious illness.

A definition can be found at Get Palliative Care and a useful FAQ and real patient stories to understand how palliative care and hospice intersect.

Many hospice organizarions are integrating palliative care along with the traditional hospice services. For example, Hospice of Cincinnati now includes palliative care. Being able to consult with medical doctors who specialize in symptom management is very helpful.

Read Jen’s blog article about her mother’s experience with palliative care here. It would have been super helpful if we had a palliative care physician but they didn’t exist in 2003.

Most caregivers do their essential care tasks without any training. This video series provides how-to’s on specific medical/nursing tasks such as preparing special diets, managing incontinence, wound care, mobility and managing medications. Here is the link: AARP Family Caregiver How-To Video Series

This short documentary film was produced by a Palliative Care doctor who initially thought the film would be about her friend, Bambi, who was situated to die at home with hospice. As the filming progressed, a more compelling story revealed itself which is the toll that caregiving takes and the lack of practical resources available to caregivers. Here is a link to the film’s website: Caregiving: A Love Story. Listen to a conversation with Dr. Jessica Zitter, MD, the film maker, on the End-of-Life University podcast, As of April 2022, the film is not readily available on streaming platforms. Search for the title on Youtube and find free screenings and discussions. Here is a link to the film’s website: Caregiving: A Love Story

International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA) offers a 12 hour class (four 3-hour sessions) on providing emotional support as a caregiver. Check out the details here: https://inelda.org/learn/care-partners-class/ 

Doulagivers offers a free level 1 training program for anyone who would like to learn more about supporting loved ones through the end-of-life. Read about it and sign up here: https://www.doulagivers.com/one-million-people-trained/

A thorough article from American Hospice Foundation discussing the emotional toll of caregiving for a loved one and providing helpful strategies to endure and accept help. https://americanhospice.org/caregiving/caregiving-at-lifes-end-facing-the-challenges/

Helpguide.org helps people cope with grief and loss. They provide online therapy for many issues and also specialize in grief and loss.

Here is a link to the grief and loss portion of their website where there are many articles to help with grief in its many varieties and situations.

The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller is highly recommended from a wide variety of sources.

Francis writes in the preface of the book:

“I wrote this book for a number of reasons, most notably, to restore soul to grief work and grief to soul work. I feel grief has been colonized by the clinical world, taken hostage by diagnoses and pharmaceutical regimes. For the most part, grief is not a problem to be solved, not a condition to be medicated, but a deep encounter with an essential experience of being human.”

You can find the book, resources and various video/audio recordings at his website: http://www.wisdombridge.net

Hospice of Cincinnati (HOC) provides a physical space, The Goldstein Family Grief Center in Blue Ash, for people to come together and share about grief. They offer support groups and workshops.

HOC also provides the Fernside Center for grieving children