OCTOBER 2023

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OCTOBER 2023

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A Guide to Benefits for Both Members and INELDA-Trained Doulas

by INELDA

In order to best support our community, we are highlighting the different resources available through logging in to your INELDA Account. In order for you to understand the assets and tools we have created, we are defining the different relationships available through INELDA.

Trained doulas are individuals who have taken an end-of-life doula training. This could include folks who took the training and never became members, as well as those who are former members. Trained members are those who have taken an end-of-life doula training and have a current tier membership or former annual membership (phasing out on 12/31/23). Members are individuals who have not taken end-of-life training with INELDA, that may in the future or have attended a workshop or class, and are supporters of the organization and our mission.

doula Profile
Mike Reagan
Mike lives in Boulder, Colorado. He has over 13 years of experience in end-of-life care. He is an INELDA-trained end-of-life doula and an active hospice volunteer and has served hundreds of terminally ill patients and their families, companioning many of them at the time of their passing. Mike is the founder of Peaceful Presence End-of-Life Services LLC and an ambassador for The Natural Funeral. Mike is experienced in supporting patients and families who have taken advantage of Colorado’s medical aid in dying (MAiD) option. You can view Mike’s “Stories From the Bedside” videos on his site.
Q&A with Mike
When and why did you decide to become an end-of-life doula?
I decided to become an end-of-life doula after answering a call to support a dear friend’s mother and her family after she received a terminal diagnosis with less than one week to live. I visited with the patient and her family three times over four days. During those visits I spoke with the family about the process that was unfolding, spoke to them about the body’s natural process of shutting down and what they could expect. I let them know that it was OK to get up close and cuddle with their mother, to share favorite memories with her, even if she was unresponsive.

UPCOMING EVENTS

End-of-Life Doula Training

October 16 – November 1 | MON & WED 5:30pm ET

This ONLINE doula training is for those who intend to serve the dying independently, as part of a hospice program, in a hospital or care facility, through a community program, or in a doula collective. Topics include models of care, deep active listening, ritual and ceremonies, vigil planning, and more. This class is open to all and will meet throughout mid-October and early November on Monday and Wednesday evenings for six sessions with two optional case studies/Q&As. Click to see more details | REGISTER

Mapping Emotions Workshop

October 26 | THU 6-9pm ET

This workshop, led by Wilka Roig, helps you explore your human responses to areas of importance, name the visceral emotions, and tease out their meaning. We will practice discerning, processing, and managing our emotions and feelings using an interactive guided imagery technique. Click to see the full schedule | REGISTER

INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training Event - October 27-29

•INTENSIVE• End-of-Life Doula Training

October 27-29 | FRI 6-10pm, SAT & SUN 10am-7:30pm ET

This ONLINE doula training is for those who intend to serve the dying independently, as part of a hospice program, in a hospital or care facility, through a community program, or in a doula collective. Topics include models of care, deep active listening, ritual and ceremonies, vigil planning, and more. This class is open to all and will meet for three days on a Friday evening and full days on Saturday and Sunday. Limited to 30 individuals. Click to see the full schedule | REGISTER

MEDIA OF THE MONTH

How to Say Goodbye

by Wendy MacNaughton

Some years ago, I had the opportunity to be an artist-in-residence at the Zen Hospice project, a six-bed residential facility situated in a light-filled house in San Francisco that, for thirty years until its closing in 2018, provided care for people at the end of their lives. I was in the house twice a week for nearly a year.

READ PREVIEW

A Lasting Legacy: Developing a Photo Managers Scholarship That Supports End-of-Life Clients

by Cathi Nelson

In a recent encounter, I stumbled upon a best-selling book titled Stuffocation: Memories Live Longer Than Things. The book emphasizes the profound idea that “experiences lead to stories, which lead to connections, which lead to relationships, which lead to happiness.” As the founder of The Photo Managers,

A Lasting Legacy: Developing a Photo Managers Scholarship That Supports End-of-Life Clients

I’ve come to appreciate this concept in a slightly different way. We capture and document our experiences through photos and videos, thus creating a personal narrative. This becomes our story, which creates connections, builds relationships, and ultimately leaves behind a lasting legacy. In essence, we take photos to tell the stories of our lives.

INELDA UPDATE
ALTERNATIVE BALANCE, A NEW INELDA BENEFIT PARTNER
New benefit for Tier-2 and Tier-3 members! We have just partnered with Alternative Balance. It provides general and professional liability insurance — including coverage for business, personal property, business interruption, and accidents — that follows you both in person and online anywhere in the United States. READ MORE

VISIT INELDA AT C-TAC
As a member of C-TAC, The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care, INELDA is proud to support the C-TAC–CAPC Leadership Summit 2023 on October 23 to 24 in Washington, D.C. The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) and C-TAC have joined forces to host the summit focusing on advancing person-centered care for people living with a serious illness. READ MORE

MEET US IN TUCSON FOR AN IN-PERSON TRAINING
Looking for in-person training? Come join us in Tucson, Arizona, the weekend of November 3 to 5. This weekend also corresponds with the city’s All Souls Procession. The Procession is a sanctuary for community members from all walks of life to express their grief and loss in a celebration of creative energy and rejoicing of life. Our training will end with the opportunity to take part in the final procession and events. READ MORE

HOSPICE TRAINING
On October 28 to 29, we will be hosting a Hospice End-of-Life Doula Training. This training is specifically designed for care provider organizations seeking to have current staff or volunteers trained as end-of-life doulas to enhance their care teams and services. READ MORE


INELDA SURVEY: WHERE ARE YOU?
Last month we opened a survey in an effort to know where doulas are and how they are showing up to do the work. If you haven’t had the opportunity to share with us yet, please do! TAKE THE SURVEY

STAFF UPDATE
Please welcome Peter Wohlsen from Brooklyn, NY, who will be supporting INELDA as an online training assistant. READ MORE

INELDA’S OCTOBER WEBINAR
Monthly Webinar

Exploring Shared Death Experiences with William Peters
October 25 \| WED 7-8:30pm ET
We will host a dynamic conversation with William Peters, founder of the Shared Crossing Project and licensed psychotherapist at the Family Therapy Institute in Santa Barbara, California, where he specializes in end-of-life counseling as a means to psycho-spiritual evolution. Together we will explore how William and the Shared Crossing Project’s Research Initiative have collected stories from around the globe and developed methods to facilitate shared crossings and to assist experiencers in meaningfully integrating their experiences. His work is informed by his two near-death experiences and a variety of shared-death experiences.
Led by INELDA educator and moderator Lara Stewart-Panko, we will learn how his personal experiences shaped his work and his desire to positively transform relationships to death and dying through education and raising awareness about shared-death experiences (shared crossings) and their healing benefits.
Cost: Free with INELDA Tier 2 & 3 membership \| Tier 1 and Non-members $15

PRACTICE CORNER

TOOLBOX TIPS

In the United States, every state administers a program for seniors under the Older Americans Act, in which the federal government provides money to states, which then funds local programs. The locally run services are usually known as Area Agencies on Aging, although they may be named by the regional entity and the nonprofit that administers the services. They can assist with transportation, Veteran services, dementia support, legal services, wellness services, and much more. Find your local AAA via the national website at Eldercare Locator.

—Grace Parker

SHARING SOURCES
Compassionate Friends
Compassionate Friends is a nonprofit organization that provides support to families who have experienced the death of a child. It offers a safe and supportive community where families can connect with others who have gone through similar experiences. The organization provides resources and education to help families cope with their grief and honor the memory of their child.
Compassionate Friends also offers events and activities, such as memorial services and candle lighting ceremonies, to help families remember and celebrate the lives of their children. The ultimate goal of Compassionate Friends is to help families find hope, healing, and a sense of peace after the death of a child.

ASK INELDA

Can you share more about what it means to rally at end of life? How do you walk someone through the process? —Training participant

Educator Valoria Walker: How we use end-of-life terminology is essential when educating our clients, patients, and the dying person’s support family. As doulas, we know what it means to “rally” at the end of life. We also understand that “terminal lucidity” is unique to each dying person, so talking to the primary caregivers is vital. Often, doulas are called into the dying process too late, and we need more time to educate the caregivers. Ideally, if family caregivers have been open to conversations about death and dying, education about “rallying at the end” may be an appreciated conversation. READ MORE

Please submit questions to [email protected]

SELF-CARE

Gratitude for Health

Martin Seligman, leader of the field of positive psychology, has a widely used exercise called “three good things.” In this exercise, participants think of three good things that happened in their day, write them down, and reflect on their role in what happened.

Studies have shown positive results in health care environments from this exercise. A 2021 study from the University of Tokyo systematically reviewed the effectiveness of gratitude interventions on individuals. The majority of gratitude interventions studied incorporated a gratitude list or journal. Some studies integrated gratitude activities into the program that may incorporate an expression of gratitude to others through telling them directly or through letter writing. READ MORE

—Loren Talbot

News Briefs
by Loren Talbot
Doula Sues for Freedom of Speech
Lauren Richwine, death doula and owner of Death Done Differently, received a cease-and-desist order in January 2023 after an unnamed complainant reached out to the Indiana attorney general’s office regarding her right to practice. The order stated she could continue if she obtained her funeral director license and a funeral home license. This led to the closure of Lauren’s business. READ MORE

MAiD New Jersey Residency Law Challenged
Compassion & Choices filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Delaware and Pennsylvania residents living with cancer and two New Jersey doctors. The suit states that the residency mandate that allows only New Jersey residents access to the state’s medical aid in dying program violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal treatment. The suit asks the U.S. District Court in Camden, New Jersey, to prohibit state officials and the county prosecutor from enforcing this unconstitutional provision of the law. READ MORE

Inequities in Palliative Care for Metastatic Breast Cancer

At this September’s American Association for Cancer Research conference, a report was released regarding disparities in palliative care over the past 15 years. The study showed that palliative care use increased significantly over time, from 14.9% in 2004 to 27.6% in 2020. But non-white patients were less likely to receive it: Non-Hispanic Black patients were 13% less likely, Asian or Pacific Islander were 26% less likely, and Hispanic patients were 35% less likely. READ MORE

The Final Word

Stars
by Marjorie Pickthall
Now in the West the slender moon lies low, And now Orion glimmers through the trees, Clearing the earth with even pace and slow, And now the stately-moving Pleiades, In that soft infinite darkness overhead Hang jewel-wise upon a silver thread. And all the lonelier stars that have their place, Calm lamps within the distant southern sky, And planet-dust upon the edge of space, Look down upon the fretful world, and I Look up to outer vastness unafraid And see the stars which sang when earth was made.

Accessible, Equitable, and Compassionate Deathcare

© INELDA 2023 International End-of-Life Doula Association is a
501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization
Tax ID#: 47-3023741

Email us: [email protected] | Phone: 201-540-9049

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