SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2017 · 5 LENDINGAHAND empower the patient or client to make the choice to be at home. But I see a big movement. Our culture is looking for something more natural.” Although there are doulas in every state, Aungier said, there’s no national certification for a doula. There are training programs such as hers, however, that are approved for licensed social workers as continuing education programs. The movement is supported by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization as a service that can supplement the medical care that hospice and palliative care workers provide. Aungier so far has trained about 30 people in the program. One of them is Bev Lapcevic, her colleague at Promise Hospice and the friend who helped her navigate her father’s passing in 2015. “Unfortunately this past March, I unexpectedly lost my father, and shortly after that Beth mentioned her involvement with the doula program and it piqued my interest,” she said. “It’s such a holistic approach and not just about what the medical world can offer to someone who’s going through the dying process. I learned through hospice that there’s so much more to that final journey. It can be agonizing, but it can also be a beautiful journey depending on how it’s handled. I’ve been fortunate to be part of quite a few of those final journeys, and it’s an honor to be able to experience that with the family. It truly is.” Some of the things end-of-life doulas can help with include preparing a living will and other legal documents, planning for what the person would like at their funeral service and determining who they might like to see and talk to as their health declines. They can also help alert the patient’s medical caregivers to changes in symptoms or pain and simply spend time with the patient, reading cards and books or answering questions. They also help prepare patients and families for what happens next as dying becomes a more active process. Aungier is currently developing a program that would help train doulas in grief counseling for the remaining loved ones and could help with things such as the paperwork and next steps to take after a person has passed on. “As a hospice nurse, you deal mostly with symptoms,” Lapcevic said. “I was very much involved with the spiritual aspect, too, but there’s never enough time. That’s the problem is that we’re very limited in the amount of time we can spend with families (as hospice workers), especially with Medicare benefits. “The doulas have no involvement with insurance or other agencies, however, so it’s completely open the amount of time you can spend with the patient and family, and that’s the wonderful aspect.” Because insurance doesn’t pay for doulas, the expense is out-of-pocket for families. Aungier said people shouldn’t let that dissuade them from looking into an end-of-life doula, however, because she’s seeing a growing number of individuals doing it on a volunteer basis. She recommends caregivers investigate the role a doula might play in their lives sooner, rather than waiting until a loved one receives a terminal diagnosis. Also, anyone who has the desire to provide extra support can go through the training program for family members and interested community members. It’s not the full program that someone who might want to do it for a living will undertake, she said, but will allow those who wish to offer support on a more volunteer basis to do so. For families who use the doula service, Aungier said, it can be a wonderful process for the patient, the loved ones and the doula. “The more they understand what’s going to happen, the more comfortable they are, and we try to reach the point where we know the family is going to experience a good death,” she said. “Some people may say how can death be good? But there is such a thing as a beautiful, good death and that’s what we strive for.” Aungier will be holding a free End of Life Doula Level 1 family/community volunteer/caregiver training session Sept. 10 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Promise Hospice in Greensburg. To learn more or to RSVP, contact Aungier at 724-515- 5251 or eaungier@promisehospice.com. Senior Living at TheWillows offers seniorsachoiceof living accommodations, with Independent Living Apartments, Enriched Personal Care, and DedicatedMemory Support Personal Care. Our residents love where they live, because we provide: • An enriching senior lifestyle with an active social calendar and exceptional amenities • Worry-free living • Various floor plans to meet your personal preferences • Apet-friendly environment In addition: • Veteran Benefits may be available • Equal Housing Opportunity Call today and schedule your personalized tour. Mention this advertisement to receive a complimentary token of our appreciation after your tour. 30-32 Heckel Road, Kennedy Township, PA 15136 • 888-219-4180 • WillowsSeniorLiving.com adno=6499668
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