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I am a certified end of life doula, yet to read your May 5th story one would not know there is such a thing. The opinions heavily quoted in your article were a mischaracterization and misrepresentation of my profession and, quite frankly, wrong.
I have years of death and dying education, numerous practicum hours in hospitals, hospice, volunteer service and private patient care. I've spent a great deal of time and money on this specific education in school, trainings, workshops and various other certifiable certification programs. Doulas often have backgrounds and experience as nurses and nursing assistants and bring to our work other professional health and healing credentials as well.
Doctors, nurses and nursing assistants are not required to have any death and dying education and do not receive it as part of their medical training. Their primary focus is on keeping people alive, not on issues of how to address dying with the dying. And that, any good doula will tell you, is what needs to change in our death phobic society.
Hawaii recently passed the Death with Dignity Act, yet still lacks trained, certified end of life doulas on staff in hospitals and hospices. Perhaps we should start asking why.
I invite those who will fail to live forever to read: "Die Wise A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul" by Stephen Jenkinson. I promise you will learn so much that will help you, your family, friends and our world.
Carol Lynn Enara Healy
Huelo