Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk talks with Suzanne O'Brien about the part in life that we all shouldn't rush nor fear. In this episode, if there's one ultimate takeaway from Suzanne, it'd be that 'love goes hand in hand with grief.' As a "Worldwide Leader in Healthcare," Suzanne shares how she trains people to care for departing loved ones from start to finish and the type of approach that proves how it's possible to face death with grace.   

Doulas in the Pandemic

Physical contact has become standard in the type of work that doulas do. As guides and support, doulas spend time with the clients they work with to provide assistance and care in many different ways. So when the pandemic hit, it was very easy to worry about how a doula could fulfill her role effectively. But, with End of Life, the halt of physical contact was not the end of it all.

Because telemedicine was proven effective at the many fronts of healthcare, End of Life came up with teledoula to address the demand for their services in a 'no-physical-contact' world. To supply the demand, online memorials were held for home wakes. When everyone's emotions heightened, this side of teledoula-ing proved to be an extraordinary way of harnessing the beauty and absurdity of using technology to connect.
 

About Suzanne O'Brien:

Suzanne B. O'Brien RN is a former Hospice and Oncology Nurse, International Speaker, and bestselling author. She is the Founder and Creator of The International Doulagivers Institute and the award-winning Doulagivers End of Life Doula Trainings. In 2015, Suzanne was Awarded "Worldwide Leader in Healthcare" by the International Nurses Association and named Oprah Magazine Humanitarian Brand Ambassador in 2019.

Suzanne B. O'Brien RN, the creator of Doulagivers, has been at the forefront of the End-of-Life Doula Movement in the United States since it began building momentum nearly a decade ago. She has developed free training designed for everyone based on her years of experience working with over one thousand end-of-life patients as a hospice nurse and palliative care professional to help make the end of life a more positive experience for us all. 

The Level 1 End of Life Doula and Family Caregiver Training is a free course designed so that anyone and everyone can understand the basic end-of-life processes and how to suggest and offer comfort to families and patients throughout these processes. 

Outline of the episode:

●     [02:55] Your calling won't always make sense

●     [06:03] When everyone thinks they're right—there's chaos

●     [11:49] The Perfect Storm

●     [18:12] Suzanne O'Brien – on the three-day home wake

●     [24:30] The three (3) phases of caring for a loved one who is at the end of their life

●     [29:40] Your body knows what to do

●     [36:05] How to support people who can't be there for a departing loved one

●     [42:03] Three (3) reasons why people hang on during their last moments

●     [48:55] The Deathbed Test

●     [54:30] You don't have to fear nor rush death

Resources:

Website:          www.doulagivers.com

Creating Positive Passings: End of Life Doula, Level 1, Caregiver Training:

https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Positive-Passings-Caregiver-Training-ebook/dp/B00YWTUSUM
 
DOULAGIVERS® LIFE CLASS:

www.doulagivers.com