International End of Life Doula Training and Wellness Center
Suzanne O’Brien, RN, founder of the International End of Life Doula Training and Wellness Center says that in the United States one of the greatest problems facing an aging population is an “End of Life Disconnect.”
Using statistics from a National Hospice Organization Gallup Poll, O’Brien says that: “Nine out of 10 people who were terminally ill wanted to die at home, yet half were dying in the hospital. The same poll found that the number one fear of the dying patient was becoming a burden to their family.”
“Because of our society’s overwhelming fear of death, it is almost impossible to teach families how to fully care for their dying loved ones,” said O’Brien. “Compounding that is the short amount of time dying patients spend at home.” Another study found that seven out of 10 families said that they felt they were referred to hospice too late. “We have literally become paralyzed by the topic of death, and this fear is making the experience so much harder than it needs to be for both patients and families,” observes O’Brien.
During a Hospice volunteer trip to Zimbabwe, Africa, in September 2012, O’Brien was impressed with the way people in the village she visited dealt with their dying relatives. “It became a community affair,” O’Brien said, noting that for women in Zimbabwe the average life span is only 42 years.
Because the hospice organization there had limited resources, the hospice workers taught members of the community how to care for a dying patient and their family through that last phase of life.
O’Brien likens the concept to a Birth Doula – someone who helps bring new life into the world, so why shouldn’t there be the same care at the end of life? Both require special love and preparation.
Doula is a Greek word meaning a non-medical person trained to care for someone physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is usually associated with the birth of a baby.
As a Hospice and Oncology Nurse in New York, O’Brien has worked with many patients and their families. Because she wanted to encourage a positive end-of-life experience, she began to facilitate hospice-training workshops and has included the training of End-of-Life Doulas.
On Sept. 26 and 27 from 1 to 6 p.m. and Oct. 10 and 11 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Innovative Health Systems in White Plains, O’Brien will hold workshops for three levels of training.
Level 1 is for everyone: Family caregivers, community members, volunteers etc. Participants learn the three phases of end of life care and what interventions they can suggest for comfort for both patient and family in each phase. Infused with patient bedside stories, this workshop is empowering, uplifting and inspiring.
Level 2 is designed for those who want to gain a more solid and in-depth understanding of how to care for a dying patient and their family through all three phases of end of life care. The concepts learned in Level 1 are applied to actual case studies for deeper understanding. The Level 2 training also includes the top 10 end of life disease processes. It will teaches what the progression of the disease looks like and what interventions the doula would offer for comfort. A manual is included with a list of common medications used in end of life care.
Level 3 is a certificate course requiring an interview and six to nine months of training with three months of classroom learning and three to six months of internship and contact hours with end of life patients. A minimum of 40 hours is required for the Level 3 EOLD certificate in addition to successful completion of all classroom work and passing the End of Life Doula Final exam.
For more information about The End of Life Doula Program and workshops, visit http://www.suzannebobrien.com. To RSVP for the workshops in White Plains call 845-337-0389.
