Come along and learn about the role of End of Life Doulas, and how you can remain present and in control around your own death, or that of a loved one. Three Doulas will share their experience with you and will invite questions at the end of the session.
Afternoon tea will be provided.
This is a FREE event run by The Healing Space as part of our Community Talks series. This is a ticketed event as seating is limited.
End of life doulas are reshaping the way people approach the end of their life by guiding them and those close to them through the process of dying in an open, supportive, and practical way. They provide non-medical, non-judgmental support; resources and guidance to individuals and families during very challenging and emotional times.
An end of life doula assists all involved to review what matters most to them. Doulas nurture, inform, empower and comfort. Doulas are bringing greater meaning to what happens at the end of life by assisting the dying and their families and those around them navigate the spiritual, emotional and physical journey toward death.
In a family led approach to home funerals - the family, friends and/or community of the person who has died remain in control of as much or as little of the decisions and happenings as they are comfortable doing. This can include everything from the transport and after death care of your person, through to all of the associated arrangements, paperwork, funeral decisions and content of a ceremony or service.
You are able to do as much or as little as you wish and you can engage a funeral director who is content to work at the direction of a family in a family led service; assisting only with any of the components you ask them to do. However, the family remains in full control of the process and their person. This approach has social, emotional and financial benefits for people, providing a greater agency to the dying and more supported grief and bereavement outcomes for those who live on.
Tracey Rusden
My name is Tracey, I live on my small farm in Southern Tasmania.
Navigating experiences in my own life and learning the purpose of those experiences prompted fulfillment of a long-term goal – to deliver personalised support to those nearing their end of life.
My transition from employment with formal health care services to End of Life Doula follows multiple encounters with unfortunate outcomes, i.e. People dying without support, alone.
My 20 years of Nursing across many health care settings have nurtured the growth of a diverse skill set. I am caring and compassionate by nature with the ability to incorporate professionalism, love and laughter in my person-centered approach. Deep listening and enquiry are vital to delivering individualised holistic services to my clients and their loved ones.
I have deep respect of client's rights to choose an end of life that is meaningful to them and consistent with their belief system, traditions and values.
Imagine this...
Rather than settling for today's ‘conventional’ approach to dying, death, burial, grief and bereavement, I propose reverting back to traditional practices of caring for our dying in their own environment, surrounded by their preferred people, pets and creature comforts.
'How so' you say...
I will work with you, creating space for open conversations about death and dying. Allowing us to explore the many options available, with a little forward planning we can create a human centered approach to your end of life experience.
Email – Tracey@eolbucketlist.com.au
Website - https://eolbucketlist.com/
Rebecca Lyons
Rebecca Lyons, mother of one, hails from the Blue Mountains in NSW. She started her working career in Sydney before making the move to Tasmania in late 2006.
Over her career she has worked in various industries including finance, real estate and the law but in 2011, she found her path into the funeral industry and stayed there until mid-2017 working across the many roles offered in the contemporary funeral industry; including pre planning, administration, mortuary, funeral arranging and directing. Retraining as an End of Life Doula and becoming an independent Funeral Director she has worked in home based death care and family led funerals ever since.
Bec has also been actively working to advance the mission of You n’ Taboo which is the education and advocacy service she co-founded with her partner in 2016.
In 2018 Bec was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to undertake international research and report on changes and disruptions in the end of life space which saw her travel through 6 countries exploring alternatives to contemporary ceremony and body disposal. A link to her report can be found by clicking here.
Most recently Bec was selected as one of ten speakers to give a TEDx Presentation in Hobart, titled 'Three Steps into the Heart of Home Funeral'.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, photography, camping and travel but what makes her most contented is time with her family. The subjects of death and dying, natural burial and the DIY approach to death care are her passion and she loves being out in the community raising awareness and promoting good honest conversations, she is a dedicated advocate for positive change.
Bec is the President of the Natural Death Advocacy Network (NDAN) in Australia and also the Australian Home Funeral Alliance (AHFA).
Email: bec@yountaboo.com
Websites: www.yountaboo.com and
Ros Wright
Hi, I’m Ros Wright,
I am an end of life doula who understands that caring for yourself and others can be an overwhelming experience, and impact on your sense of wellbeing.
I provide advocacy, support, and a pathway for clients, and their families to access aged care and end of life doula services in an open minded and respectful way.
I am able to assist you and your family in navigating the aged care system, and can work with you to access information and services.
I have experienced the challenges of caring for parents, and friends both personally and in the workplace as they age and at the end of life.
I am a registered nurse and have worked in the aged care sector for 35 years in many different roles; and maintain a key interest in advocating for clients.