FAQs

What is a Death Doula?

A Death Doula is a non-medical support professional who offers emotional, practical, and informational care to individuals and families during the end-of-life journey. Their role is to provide a calm, steady presence and compassionate guidance through the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of dying.

Death Doulas help individuals clarify their wishes, plan for end-of-life care, and navigate conversations and decisions that can feel overwhelming. They may assist with legacy work, life review, advance planning, and creating meaningful rituals. For families, Death Doulas offer education about the dying process, emotional support, advocacy, and continuity of care.

Unlike hospice or medical providers, Death Doulas do not offer clinical care. Instead, they work alongside medical teams to provide personalized, uninterrupted support—meeting people where they are and honoring what matters most to them during this profound life transition.

Why consider a Death Doula?
A Death Doula provides a calm, steady presence and an informed understanding of the dying process. They offer compassionate support to individuals and families who may feel overwhelmed or heartbroken as they face the impending loss of a loved one. While Death Doulas can provide a range of services to support the dying process, their most essential role is to be a reliable, grounding, knowledgeable, and comforting presence during one of life’s most emotional transitions.

When should I contact a Death Doula?
A Death Doula can be contacted at any point during the end-of-life journey. Reaching out earlier allows more time for the doula to build a meaningful relationship with the individual and their family, develop thoughtful and personalized care plans, prioritize end-of-life wishes, and help create a sacred, supportive space filled with intention and meaning for everyone involved.

How is a Death Doula different from hospice care?
We strongly encourage every individual and family facing a terminal illness or end of life to contact their local hospice as early as possible. Hospice provides essential medical care through physicians and nursing staff, and our services are designed to work alongside—not replace—that care. Death Doulas complement hospice teams by offering non-medical, continuous, and deeply personalized support.

Unlike hospice services, which are guided by Medicare regulations and limited availability, Death Doulas are able to offer more time at the bedside, greater continuity of presence, expanded advocacy, and increased availability. Our training extends well beyond standard hospice volunteer programs and includes in-depth personal and professional preparation to sit with fear, grief, and intense emotional experiences. We are skilled in providing calm, steady support during moments that are often overwhelming.

Our role may include full-time presence during vigil and at the time of death, advocacy in hospital or home settings, guidance in creating customized end-of-life care plans that address spiritual, physical, practical, and life-review needs, and—most importantly—consistent, trusting relationships with those we serve. This level of presence and companionship is a unique form of support not found elsewhere.

Do Death Doulas need to be certified?
No. At this time, there is no national, state, or local regulation governing death doulas or the programs that train them. As a result, certification programs have been created by individual pioneers in the field and can vary widely in scope and approach. When a doula describes themselves as “certified,” that certification comes from a specific trainer or training organization rather than a governing body.

That said, Preparing the Way offers a Certificate and Training Badge for recognition within the field and helping to establish professional standards. Certification remains a personal choice for each doula and can offer both the doula and the client a point of reference, indicating that the doula’s knowledge and training align with others certified through the same program.

Why would someone hire a Death Doula?
Caring for a loved one at home during serious illness can quickly become overwhelming. As illness progresses, physical, emotional, and practical demands often increase, and research shows that caregiving can have significant effects on caregivers’ well-being—physically, emotionally, and socially. While hospice care is an invaluable support, it is often introduced only in the final weeks or days of life, and hospice team members may have limited time with patients and families.

Death Doulas can become involved much earlier, sometimes while an individual is still feeling well and able to participate in planning and decision-making. They can assist with completing meaningful projects, organizing practical matters, and preparing for future needs. As knowledgeable resource guides, doulas help individuals and families navigate and maximize available community supports. Academic research on end-of-life doulas is currently underway, and in the coming years will further illuminate the benefits of this growing field.

Do you adhere to a code of ethics?

Legacy Craft adheres to Holistic End of Life & Death Care Australia’s Code of Conduct, along with Preparing the Way’s Value Statement.

PAYMENT

Do you accept insurance or Medicare?
Death Doula services are non-medical and are not currently covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance. Payment is the responsibility of the client or family.

Can family members share the cost?
Yes. Families often choose to share financial responsibility, and we are happy to accommodate this arrangement when possible.