ABOUT MISTY
Hello and welcome. My name is Misty and I am a trained End of Life Doula and Dementia Support serving New York City and the surrounding communities. I was drawn to this work because I deeply believe the end of our lives is just as sacred as the beginning. I aim to empower my clients about their end of life choices and educate them to lessen the anxiety and fear surrounding death. Throughout, I strive to be an informed, calming and compassionate presence. I am here to assist with your questions and help navigate the path forward. Contact me to schedule a free consultation.
The end of life deserves as much beauty, care and respect as the beginning.
Anonymous
What is an end of life doula?
An end of life doula is a trained non-medical professional who provides emotional, physical, and educational support for someone nearing death. Much like a birth doula assists the mother and family with her comfort and plans for the prospective birth; end of life doulas assist in planning for the eventual death of the dying person while making every moment as comfortable and memorable as possible, a role that is often too difficult to be played by close family members and friends.
MY STORY
In 2021, I served as a caregiver for my next door neighbor, a wonderful, bright and spirited person who was in need of support and companionship. I was honored to be their caregiver and assure their final wishes were upheld. This experience and losing my father due to complications from COVID-19 had a profound impact on me. I realized how critical it is for a person to have all their wishes laid out, to not die alone and to be treated with compassion and dignity beyond their last breath.
Driven by my desire to assure others had a “good death,” I began the process of educating myself and working with other caregivers to learn more about the field, specifically end of life care. I completed over 35 hours of training with the International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA). One of my trainers was Henry Fersko-Weiss who developed the end of life doula model. In addition, I completed 20 hours of training with VNS Health (formerly VNSNY) to serve as a hospice volunteer. Currently, I am completing training to become a Dementia Doula which expands on my end of life training.
MY CORE BELIEFS
The end of life is an inevitable universal truth. There is no way around it. It will happen to all of us.
My approach is to empower my clients about their choices and educate them to lessen the anxiety and fear surrounding death. Throughout, I strive to be an informed, calming and compassionate presence. I aim to make the dying process more pleasant for everyone involved.
With each client I aim to:
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alleviate the fear surrounding death and to offer a comforting presence during an emotionally sensitive time.
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provide support for those in the final phase of life, focusing on empowering others to live and die as peacefully as possible, and recognizing dying as a natural part of life.
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honor the dignity of every individual I work with, their personal opinions, orientation to care, style of interaction with others, the choices they make, as well as their race, religion, sexual orientation, immigration status, lifestyle, and mental or physical disability.
SERVICES OFFERED
Currently, I serve in two capacities: end of life doula and caregiver.
As an end of life doula, I can offer the following:
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Companion the dying and the their loved ones. Provide the opportunity and space to speak openly and frankly about dying.
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Assistance with and/or review of all advance care planning and directives.
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Assistance planning a living funeral, life celebration, traditional funeral, memorial and provide additional information about burial choices.
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Explore the meaning of the dying person’s life and legacy which may include legacy projects.
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Recommend interventions for comfort. Provide hands-on, non-medical comfort measures, such as guided imagery, breath work, Reiki and relaxation techniques.
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Incorporate traditions or create new rituals to mark special moments and support the spiritual practices of all involved.
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Assist with physical and practical care to ease the burden on caregivers and provide respite care for exhausted caregivers and family.
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Explain the signs and symptoms of the dying process and be available to sit bedside, if desired.
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Advocate and mediate to assure final wishes are honored.
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Guide family and loved ones through the early stages of grieving.
As a personal care aide or caregiver, I can offer the following:
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Provide partial or supplement care, overnight assistance, and/or respite care.
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Assist with daily needs: shopping, errands, personal hygiene, dressing, meal preparation, laundry, cleaning, etc.
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Assist with prescribed physical, occupational and speech therapy exercises.
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Pet care to include walks, minor grooming, cleaning of bedding and litter boxes, trips to the vet.
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Travel to and from appointments and securing in home services, as needed.
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Documentation of relevant health information.
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Serve as coordinator of care for all caregivers to assure you have consistent quality care. Assistance securing additional caregivers, as needed.
I have experience working with clients with a variety of comorbidities including Multiple Sclerosis, HIV, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and dementia.