What Is a Death Doula, and When Should You Use One?

Key takeaways:

Doulas provide support during major life transitions. Birth doulas help during birth, and death doulas (or end-of-life doulas) help during death.
Death doulas can provide a broad range of support, from spiritual and emotional help to physical comfort and logistical assistance.
Though they are not covered by insurance, many people find death doulas an important service, along with hospice or palliative care.

Similar to birth doulas, death doulas provide support during a major life transition. But rather than aiding during birth, death doulas help people at the end of their lives.

It can be scary to talk about death. Death doulas fill a great need by providing professional guidance and a personal touch during a challenging time. They provide emotional, spiritual, and physical support both to the dying person and their loved ones.

Read on to learn more about death doulas.

What exactly does a death doula do?

Dying can be a long process with many stages, both for the dying person and their loved ones. Death doulas can help at multiple parts of the end-of-life process. Their work is often broken down into three main phases:

Planning: As death approaches, death doulas can help the dying person find meaning in their life and plan for their death.
Dying: Death doulas can ensure that the person is comfortable and that their wishes are being carried out.
Grieving: Death doulas can help in the immediate time after death as family members begin to process grief. They can also help carry out logistical needs.

What services does a death doula provide for patients?

A death doula’s primary goal is to support the needs of the dying person. This may include:

Talking with the person about dying and helping them identify their wishes
Helping the dying person plan for what they want after their death, such as what they want done with their remains or what type of memorial service they want
Explaining how dying may feel and what symptoms they may experience
Helping the dying person find meaning in their life and leave a legacy, such as by sharing memories, writing down stories, or writing letters
Designing the physical space for death, including decorations, sounds, and smells
Encouraging loved ones to provide touch and affection to the dying person
Providing spiritual support or leading rituals

What services does a death doula provide for family members?

Sometimes, the best thing for the dying person may be to help family members. A death doula can provide a lot of support for loved ones. This may include:

Organizing the physical space for the dying person
Providing logistical support
Taking over caregiver duties to let other caregivers rest
Helping plan for remains or memorial services
Helping loved ones understand the signs of death and what symptoms the person may be experiencing
Supporting loved ones in providing love and affection to the dying person
Helping wash and dress the deceased
Providing spiritual support
Helping loved ones process grief and loss
Helping loved ones identify how to continue the legacy of the dying person

How is a death doula different from hospice or palliative care?

Death doulas are different from hospice or palliative care because they do not provide medical care or participate in physician-assisted death. Hospice or palliative care will provide medical services, including medical evaluations and medications for comfort and pain.

Is a death doula part of hospice care?

Death doulas provide different services from hospice, but some hospices may have death doulas on their teams. You may find a death doula through a hospice program, or you may find one independent from hospice.

Where can you find a death doula?

If you are already working with hospice or palliative care, you can reach out to them regarding death doula services near you.

INELDA is a great resource to find a doula for you. You can search the organization’s find a doula directory online. The National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) also has a directory of death doulas.

How much does a death doula cost?

The cost of a death doula can vary and may depend on the services provided. It may be a flat fee or an hourly rate. You might expect to pay between $25 and $100 per hour.

At this time, insurance does not cover death doulas. There may be some death doulas that provide sliding scale fees based on how much you are able to pay.

What other services are important for end-of-life care?

Death doulas provide one part of end-of-life services. End-of-life care may include many aspects, such as:

Palliative care, which provides medical support for people living with serious and chronic illnesses
Hospice care, which is a team of medical providers for medical care and comfort at the end of life
Respite care, which provides relief for caregivers when needed
Medical case managers, who are nurses or social workers who help evaluate what needs you may have and help you address those needs

The bottom line

Death doulas help with the transition at the end of life through death. They provide support to the dying person and their loved ones. While they don’t provide medical care, death doulas provide many additional important services. This can include emotional, physical, and spiritual support — in addition to much-needed caregiver respite and logistical assistance.

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Written by:

Christina Palmer, MD

Christina Palmer, MD, is a board-certified family physician with a focus on chronic care management, women’s health, and mental health. She’s the co-author of “Open Heart: When Open-Heart Surgery Becomes Your Best Option.”.

Edited by:

Renée Fabian, MA

Renée Fabian is the senior pet health editor at GoodRx. She’s worked for nearly 10 years as a journalist and editor across a wide range of health and well-being topics.

Reviewed by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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