Table 3 Death Doulas incorporated into existing models of care
From: Death doula working practices and models of care: the views of death doula training organisations
Theme | Respondent | Response |
|---|---|---|
Support incorporating DD into models | Organisation 2 (AUS) | “I think this could be good” |
Organisation 4 (SWED) | “Yes, a great complment (sic)“ | |
Organisation 5 (NZ) | “Yes to all that!!!“ | |
Organisation 6 (CAN) | “I agree this is the right direction” | |
Organisation 12 (the US) | “Yes, we are working on becoming a licensed home health agency exclusively for EOL doulas. Not hospice.” | |
Support but with caveats | Organisation 7 (CAN) | “I would love to see all of the above but with the doulas at the table to help determine the scope’s boundaries” |
Organisation 8 (the UK) | “Yes a hood (sic) way forward as long as the purpose of doulas os (sic) not lost” | |
Organisation 11 (the US) | “I love all this but you have to be careful how you do it. Its too much to go into here. It is an excellent idea but you have to decide what the main use you want them for in each setting. thats very important. it may be another role will provide what you want” | |
DDs are not the same as Volunteers | Organisation 1 (AUS) | […] “I don’t like the idea of putting doulas into a category that contains (or is analogous to) volunteerism […] Funding under private health care yes, however Medicare* will not take on more categories of work” |
Organisation 9 (the US) | “Sure… so, a glorified Hospice volunteer? It gets tricky… I’m afraid there would be less Hospice volunteers if there is a demand for a paid position as a death doula. It might harm the Hospice volunteer model… It’s all a great unfolding mystery isn’t it? “ | |
Organisation 13 (AUS) | “There is much discussion to be had about the ‘same way that volunteers in hospice/hospital are managed’. The doula role needs to be viewed, and is actually, a specialist role and not simply as an added skill to incorporate into the role of a volunteer / paid carer” […] | |
DD to remain independent | Organisation 3 (the US) | “It’s a slippery slope of government regulation and oversight of the profession. Should never be mandated that doulas participate if they want to serve clients who can do private pay […] But turning us into another cog in the machine undermines the very essence of the role. I get the desire to serve lower income families who might not be able to do private pay but this can be addressed through nonprofit options rather than government pay” […] |
Organisation 10 (AUS) | “I think that Doulas need to remain independent of any system and be hired by the dying person and/or their family. I would love to see private health insurance companies see the value in what we do and offer rebates for their customers” […]. | |
Organisation 13 (AUS) | […] “Cautious about doulas being ‘hired’ by hospitals and other institutions etc as they will have to adhere to policies and procedures of the employer which may compromise their capacity to advocate for the values and wishes of the individual client and those close to them” […]. | |
DD role to remain non-Medical | Organisation 1 (AUS) | […] “I’m also not convinced that situating end of life doulas into a medical model of practice is beneficial” […] |
Organisation 12 (the US) | “Hospice works under physicians orders, doulas should not” | |
Organisation 13 (AUS) | “Doulas already deliver palliative care (except the medical aspect)” |