Death Doulas Used to Be Rare. The COVID-19 Pandemic Changed That

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A death doula is an end-of-life coach who helps the terminally ill be at peace with dying. Hundreds of Americans have embraced the occupation during the pandemic

, people ages 18 to 34 were more likely in 2021 to have a will than those ages 35 to 54. The younger generation was the most likely to cite COVID-19 as a major reason to plan for death. “For the first time in a generation, everyone is experiencing the possibility that death may touch their lives—not someday, but now,” says Ann Burns, president of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.The Sept.

When she was laid off in October 2020, Web says, she faced low prospects of finding another comparable zoo or aquarium job, so she pursued a career that’s been at the back of her mind since her grandmother died of pancreatic cancer more than 17 years ago. She became a death doula, in hopes that fewer people would spend their final moments surrounded by panicked loved ones the way her 82-year-old grandmother did in 2004. At age 21, it was the first time Web had experienced such a major loss.

“The gift of time is what makes doula work so special and meaningful,” says Angela Shook, president of the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance. To free up family members to focus solely on their dying loved one, death doulas can help make funeral arrangements and handle other logistics. In Pennsylvania, Thornhill spends six days a week caring for her 101-year-old client, Estella Stackhouse, who has dementia.

Birthday cards marking Stackhouse’s 100th birthday, and other holiday cards, are hung on her bedroom wall.The job is often misunderstood, partially because many feel it’s a morbid occupation. But death doulas disagree, saying there’s often more dignity in the work than sadness. Web says her mother was horrified when she started training to become a doula in spring 2021. “She thought I would be devastated 24/7 because I’m a sensitive person,” Web says.

"It ranks right up there with oxygen," Thornhill says of the importance of her role as a caretaker for the dying and their loved ones.Among the new doulas are Patty and Greg Howe, a longtime married couple who are both terminally ill. In the five years since Greg was diagnosed with leukemia, the 66-year-old says he has come to a “place of just complete liberation.” His acceptance helped shape Patty’s outlook when she was diagnosed in February with liver cancer at age 69.

 

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Wow! Just….wow 😳

Awwww

Turn to islam the truth shall set you free

Hundred of American

Sounds kind of unsafe to be around the dying during a global pandemic…..

Not me

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