End-of-Life Topics

A Death Doula’s Guide to a Meaningful End by Jane Callahan

By Patty Brennan April 29, 2026

Book Review by Patty Brennan I found myself grabbing the yellow highlighter repeatedly as I read Jane Callahan’s new gem of a guidebook. The author weaves together her own life experience and client stories while synthesizing an overview of end-of-life issues, decision points, and resources. It makes for an informative and engaging read that brings…

Inside the Dementia Journey: What Caregivers Wish Someone Had Told Them (podcast)

By Patty Brennan April 28, 2026

Traci Arieli interviews author Patty Brennan Comforting Closure—Conversations with a Death Doula is a series of podcasts by end-of-life doula Traci Arieli. Recently, Traci interviewed Patty Brennan for a conversation about her book, Into the Fog: Navigating My Mother’s Journey through Dementia. The book is both a memoir and a guide for families in which…

End-of-Life Support for Dementia: Creative Care Ideas (Webinar)

By Patty Brennan April 16, 2026

With Grey Leifer, EOLD Though dementia takes many forms, its most consistent attribute is uncertainty, which can cause anxiety and be more taxing to the caregiver than the patient/client. Improvisation techniques, adjusting our own concepts around time, and practicing the art of skillful presence can help us protect our own connection to reality, enabling us…

Weaving Willow Coffins & Green Burial (webinar)

By Patty Brennan March 20, 2025

With Tamara MacIntyre, End-of-Life Doula Join us for a conversation on sustainable after-death care, where Tamara shares her journey into weaving willow coffins and the role of handcrafted, biodegradable vessels in green burials. We’ll explore how these practices honor both the deceased and the environment, offering families meaningful, eco-conscious choices. This session will provide insights…

Skilled Nursing Facility Assessment Tool

By Patty Brennan March 17, 2025

Co-created by Jane Whitlock, Catherine Thiemann, and Patty Brennan How does your facility support residents and loved ones who are dying? How does the facility help healthy residents prepare for death? How does the facility work with end-of-life doulas? Download this tool as PDF.

Palliative Positioning in Hospice Care

By Patty Brennan October 29, 2024

By Cindy Spence Tips for Getting Clients Comfortable in Bed at the End of Life Palliative positioning has the power to reduce a pain score dramatically, and it’s a skill that anyone can learn. As a massage therapist working in hospice care, I’ve learned that most of what I do to help people is very…

Medical Aid in Dying, End-of-Life Doulas, and the Doula Scope of Practice

By Patty Brennan May 16, 2024

By Patty Brennan Recently, I was conducting a webinar for end-of-life doulas (EOLDs) when someone in the audience shared that Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) clients were her specialty and that she travels to other states to “do it.” As MAiD was not the theme of our webinar, I did not pursue questioning her as to whether she…

Setting Fees as an End-of-Life Doula (webinar)

By Patty Brennan May 16, 2024

With Patty Brennan Join a discussion on how to value our doula work. Fee setting considerations include your cost of doing business, your need for income, your geographic location and population served, whether to charge by the hour or set a package rate for services, how to do market research, and more. For more information…

Doulas in Hospice: A Successful Business Model (Webinar)

By Patty Brennan January 18, 2024

This presentation covers how Present for You doulas support hospice and how doulas can help solve several ongoing gaps in care within the health system. Our speaker, Jane Euler, shares how she formed collaborative relationships with hospice care providers to better serve families. After completing doula training with two different organizations and pursuing “private pay” clients, Jane…

Navigating the Healthcare System: Coaching Clients through the Maze ~ July Member Webinar

By Patty Brennan July 20, 2022

With Bonnie Blachly Helping clients navigate the healthcare system to ensure they receive the best health care possible is of utmost importance, especially when facing a life-limiting or life-ending condition. Multiple doctors and other disciplines may be involved. Helping your client develop trust in their doctors is an important aspect of support provided by an…