A death midwife or death doula is a person who assists in the dying process much like a midwife or doula does with the birthing process. It is "a community centred response that recognizes death as a natural, accepted and honoured part of life. One might say that death midwifery is to hospice palliative care as the slow food movement is to large scale agricultural practices, or as birth midwifery is to obstetrics." Practitioners "can help create death plans, some provide spiritual care, psychological and social support, and sometimes even physical care. They can help plan home vigils and home funerals, and offer guidance with respect to what your rights and responsibilities are in caring for someone who's died."
Contents
Certification
There are a few organizations that offer a certification program.
Name controversy
There has been some recent controversy with the name "death midwife."