Whether you are visiting this page because someone you know is dying, or you are approaching your own end of life, I want you to know that you are not alone and that I can support you.

End of life doulas act as companions to those who are dying, providing holistic support to the individual and those closest to them.

Doulas recognise death and dying as a natural part of life but understand the huge range of emotions one can feel when faced with their own mortality and also the sense of loss and grief experienced by those around them.

The role of the Doula is to help people feel more at peace with death and dying and work in an open-hearted, person centred way to provide guidance, confidence and reassurance in any way it is needed.

Doulas believe in ‘doing death differently’ and help individuals and their family and friends to create an environment of loving support, kindness, respect, dignity and normality for all concerned.

As an end of life Doula, my aim is to empower people to live their best life possible, for as long as possible, whilst preparing for the best death possible.

I believe there is such a thing as a good death and can provide the practical, emotional and, if desired, spiritual support to help you achieve this.

I begin by getting to know you and what is important to you and tailor my support to meet your needs.

With a long history in health care, I am familiar with most medical conditions and how these can impact on your physical, emotional and psychological well-being.

Drawing on my occupational therapy experience, I can help you to remain as independent as possible at each stage of your journey and help you to manage and cope with symptoms, as they arise.

The role of a Doula is to walk alongside individuals whilst working alongside professionals, offering non-medical care to supplement the medical care you may be receiving.

Having worked in both the hospital and community palliative care teams in York and the surrounding areas, I know many of the medical and therapy staff who will be supporting you and work collaboratively with them, in order to ensure you receive the best care possible.

At the same time, I can support you to plan and prepare for your end of life by helping you to establish your wishes and facilitating these, as much as I possibly can.

Studies show that, given the choice, approximately 70% of people would prefer to die at home but only around 17% achieve this with the majority of people dying in hospital. I believe that by providing the right support and reassurance to people at the end of life, we can make it possible for more people to die at home, if that is their wish.

Most importantly, I want you to be able to approach death without fear or loneliness and for you to feel in control of what happens to you and that your voice has been heard.

So, whether you are nearing the end of life due to normal ageing or as the result of a life-limiting illness and would like additional support, or whether someone you know is dying, please just call to discuss how I can help.