You can listen to Professor Allan Kellehear from the UK talk about the role EOL Doulas can play in individual lives, as well as our role in death literacy.
If you are wondering if an End Of Life Doula is a good fit for your compassionate community then please do not hesitate to get in touch. I am an EOL Doula who specialises in information transfer, client advocacy, consumer rights, vigilling, and after-death support.
Let’s talk.
Rather than have me bang on about the beauty and importance of advance planning, especially Advance Health Care Directives (AHCD), there is a wonderful Guardian article here that is really worth while.
The article is from a UK legal and medical practice perspective, but the essence of why advance planning saves time, effort, grief and heartache is international.
Would you like to have an AHCD in place for yourself? Please do get in touch, I am an End Of Life Doula who specialises in advance planning.
Let’s talk.
There has been a flurry of financial information doing the rounds of Australian news outlets in the last few days – see HERE and HERE from finder.com.au for details.
The average cost of a funeral now in Sydney is more than $8K, a startling figure in light of how inexpensive a funeral and cremation can be if you know your consumer rights and plan in advance. Of course, ‘planning’ refers to honest, open considerations of personal wishes and ideas, and open, honest conversations and a willingness to listen to the person whose End Of Life you are planning. The open-mindedness particularly pertains to Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) planning.
This is one area of death, dying, and End Of life documentation for which I strongly recommend you engage a suitably-informed End Of Life Doula; as there are sometimes state-by-state variations it is always a sensible idea to double-check that the EOL Doula you wish to retain for this purpose is an expert in the state you live in. This is a consideration for people who live close to state/territory borders, or who may know someone who is a highly-skilled EOL Doula, but they practice in a different state.
I am a staunch advocate of transparency in costing, as well as in consumer rights – however the corporate funeral industry in Australia is quite resistant to having informed consumers as this means the profit margins will be lowered – see Ibisworld for further information. One of the locked figures is the profit margin, estimated by the 2017 Ibisworld Report at 1.2 billion AUD per annum and growing.
As a way of increasing death literacy and awareness in my area I am hosting an information evening: Plan Your End Of Life & Live Better! an official #D2KD event on August 8th with consumer education as the focus. Many events are being held around Australia throughout August, so have a look at the #D2KD site to see if there is one near you. Alternatively, if you prefer one-to-one interactions feel free to contact me to talk about your rights and choices at End Of Life – but remember I am based in NSW. For other Australian states, or to find an EOL Doula closer to your home, try The End Of Life Doula Directory.
Curious about your rights and consumer options? I specialise in information transfer and am extraordinarily good at explaining things from different perspectives so we can be sure you are fully informed and have all your questions answered.
Let’s talk.
There is a very useful article from Discover Society which considers what happens in families – and in terms of acting like ‘family’ – when someone is at End Of Life.
The article also contains some useful additional reading at the bottom of the page.
Would you like to explore the world of End Of Life and building compassionate communities and networks, including family?
Let’s talk.
I have had several conversations lately, both over the phone and in person on the dog beach when I have been walking Cully, about dementia* in dogs. Cully has knee replacements, so I myself am often focused upon physical deterioration for senior dogs, and when a good friend sent through some information about support groups for cognitive deterioration I thought it would be a sensible time to share this information.
This section is a taster, obviously there are many different blogs, pages, and books/articles out there, but they are a good place to start if you are unsure of what kind of information, writing style, and support group environment you are looking for. Some of the blog links are for more general senior dog ownership, but include canine dementia and/or Alzheimer’s information. Don’t forget that I am an End Of Life Doula for companion animals as well as humans – if you would like support for exploring your pet’s End Of Life choices and options I am happy to help you.
Let’s talk.
Facebook: Dogs with Canine Dementia or Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, Dog Dementia, Senior Dog Care Club – N.B.: at least two of these are closed groups, so you will need to be approved to access the content.
Blogs: Senior Tail Waggers, Senior Dog Blog, Dog Dementia
Book: Remember me? Loving and caring for a dog with canine cognitive dysfunction (please remember that Amazon do not pay taxes in Australia, so you may be able to order this book from your local independent bookshop)
*Remember that dogs and humans have co-evolved for a very long time, and many of the common symptoms of dementia in humans – Sundowner’s syndrome, aggressiveness, vagueness, decreased activity, etc. – may also present in our dogs.
Dr Annetta Mallon 