1/23/2015 – Doulas, Who Usher in New Life, Find Mission in Support for the Dying

Hospices have long had “vigil volunteers” who sit by the bedsides of the dying, but it has now expanded far beyond that. Since there are no federal or state accrediting agencies for death doulas — also called end-of-life doulas, death midwives or simply companions — there are no statistics on how many exist.

And just as there isn’t one name for such a job, there isn’t one description. Some volunteer to visit a dying patient weekly. Others charge to do things like organizing paperwork, living with a patient or assisting with funeral arrangements.

Read the full article at The New York Times.