The dying process can be a time of intense emotion, transformation and healing. It is an intimate, time-limited rite of passage. As an End of Life Doula, I work with clients and their families and friends to create an intentional and heartfelt journey that is infused with as much beauty and meaning as possible. I do this by companioning clients on their path, using the wisdom I've gathered from serving others through this process.
Trina Wacasey, Ph.D.
End of Life Doula
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I became interested in preparing and guiding others through the dying process following the death of my father in the Spring of 2012. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April and died at home one month later. He was surrounded by family and friends who cared for him and we had hospice services available. However, none of us were adequately prepared. That month was a chaotic and tumultuous time that in hindsight could have gone more smoothly had we had the presence of a calm and wise End of Life Doula to help us leverage the excellent but limited time that hospice had available for us.
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Services Offered
Locate and Leverage Hospice Services
Leverage Technology for Client's Benefit
Locate Affordable Funeral Services
Coach, Guide and Educate
While this is not the complete list of all of the services that I offer, it gives potential clients an idea of the types of services I offer. I enjoy collaborating with clients, with hospices, with funeral service providers, and with senior living communities to normalize discussions of death and dying and to demystify it. I especially like to guide small groups or communities of people as they support individuals they care about through the dying process.
As someone who has been with those when they are dying, I know how isolating and alone one can feel. Often clients and their caregivers don’t want to burden their loved ones with their heavy feelings and emotions. I am an objective outsider who offers help to ease these burdens.
- I use a Hospice Assessment Tool that I created to help clients find an appropriate hospice to meet their needs.
- I companion clients when caregivers need a break.
- I work with the client to create a peaceful, beautiful, and calm physical space to honor the culmination of a life lived to the fullest.
Leverage Technology for Client's Benefit
- I can accompany clients to doctor visits and show them how to use a mobile phone application that audio records and transcribes the visit for later review.
- I help clients to update friends and family outside the caregiving circle about their status, needs and/or preferences all in one web based application to avoid the need for multiple communications.
- I interview and video record client’s end of life wishes to document how they prefer the journey to go.
- I connect clients with distant friends and family using video conferencing technology for any important connections and conversations and record the sessions for later viewing.
- I introduce clients to another mobile phone application that helps to reduce anxiety and I guide them through the effective use of the application.
Locate Affordable Funeral Services
- I use a Funeral Services Assessment Tool that I created to help clients find affordable funeral services.
Coach, Guide and Educate
- I coach clients to live their life to the fullest. To avoid prolonged suffering, I can discuss medical aid in dying in states where it is legal or medical dehydration which is legal in all 50 states in the US.
- I guide caregivers to be more involved in the after death care of their loved one’s body rather that having the body hurriedly whisked away by strangers to refrigeration at a mortuary.
- I educate clients on the variety of earth-friendly disposition options including green/natural burials, water cremation and natural organic reduction or human composting.
While this is not the complete list of all of the services that I offer, it gives potential clients an idea of the types of services I offer. I enjoy collaborating with clients, with hospices, with funeral service providers, and with senior living communities to normalize discussions of death and dying and to demystify it. I especially like to guide small groups or communities of people as they support individuals they care about through the dying process.
As someone who has been with those when they are dying, I know how isolating and alone one can feel. Often clients and their caregivers don’t want to burden their loved ones with their heavy feelings and emotions. I am an objective outsider who offers help to ease these burdens.
How Much Does it Cost?
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I offer my services on a Pay it Forward, donation basis. Those who benefit from my guidance and expertise can make a donation to offset my costs in supporting future clients if they wish. There is no obligation to do so. I'm happy to offer a receipt for tax deduction purposes. Please call or email me to see if you think we would be a good fit and to check my availability or to recommend someone who may benefit from my help. If I’m not able to serve you, I will try to help you find services of another End of Life Doula in my network.
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Doesn't Hospice Offer these Services?
Palliative Care and Hospice offer valuable resources to people with a life limiting illness. I work with clients who are either on hospice or I can help them to choose a hospice that fits their needs and desires. Clients may not know that they can choose which hospice they prefer. For those over 65, it is funded by Medicare. Medicaid or private insurance providers cover it for everyone else.
Clients should keep in mind that hospice staff time is limited. While they are usually a phone call away, they are not able to be in the client's presence for more than a few hours a week due to the number of clients they serve. This leaves caregivers on their own to provide that 24/7 support when a loved one is dying. Through the non-medical services that I offer, I can help to bridge the gap to leverage the resources of hospice and to ease the burden of caregivers and to provide those who are dying with a more peaceful, calm, and beautiful end of life experience.
Clients should keep in mind that hospice staff time is limited. While they are usually a phone call away, they are not able to be in the client's presence for more than a few hours a week due to the number of clients they serve. This leaves caregivers on their own to provide that 24/7 support when a loved one is dying. Through the non-medical services that I offer, I can help to bridge the gap to leverage the resources of hospice and to ease the burden of caregivers and to provide those who are dying with a more peaceful, calm, and beautiful end of life experience.