End of Life Doula

End Of Life Doula

The End of Life Doula provides continuous non-medical emotional, spiritual, and practical support to patients at the end of life and their loved ones. This support spans the final months, weeks, or days of life and includes advance care planning, vigil preparation, legacy projects, comfort-enhancing interventions, and bereavement follow-up. The End of Life Doula works in close collaboration with the patient, family caregivers, and the interdisciplinary care team, while honoring the patient's values, preferences, and life story. The Doula offers a calm and compassionate presence, facilitates meaningful conversations, assists in planning memorials or commemorations, and supports loved ones throughout the dying process and into bereavement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide companionship and a supportive presence to patients and loved ones during all stages of the end-of-life journey.
• Offer emotional, spiritual, and practical support while maintaining a non-medical, non-judgmental, family-centered approach.
• Assist patients and caregivers in exploring and implementing comfort-enhancing interventions.
• Support advance care planning, including discussions of values, goals, and wishes.
• Facilitate vigil planning, including creating a peaceful environment and coordinating with family and care team.
• Assist with legacy projects such as eulogies, obituaries, and commemorations.
• Provide bereavement support and follow-up after the patient's death.
• Educate patients and families on the three stages of end-of-life care, available resources, and coping strategies.
• Respect confidentiality while complying with mandated reporting laws for suspected abuse or neglect.
• Encourage and coach patients and caregivers to communicate openly with medical providers.
• Maintain timely and compassionate communication, responding to calls and messages within agreed-upon time frames.
• Promote a safe, calm, and supportive environment in homes, hospice facilities, hospitals, or other care settings.
• Document all interactions and services provided in accordance with organizational protocols.

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma/G.E.D. required
• Completion of recognized End of Life Doula training (National End-of-Life Doula Alliance or equivalent) required
• 13 years of experience providing direct support to individuals at the end of life preferred
• Knowledge of advance care planning, vigil support, and grief/bereavement principles preferred
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and compassionately with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Strong active listening skills and the ability to hold space for emotionally intense conversations
• Commitment to non-medical, holistic, person- and family-centered care
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality
• Reliable, organized, and responsive, with the ability to adapt to changing needs
• Liability insurance if working independently, or ability to be covered under organizational policy required
• BCLS Basic Life Support within 180 days of hire preferred

Physical Demands:

• Standing - Constantly
• Walking - Constantly
• Sitting - Rarely
• Lifting - Frequently
• Carrying - Frequently
• Pushing - Occasionally
• Pulling - Occasionally
• Climbing - Occasionally
• Balancing - Occasionally
• Stooping - Frequently
• Kneeling - Frequently
• Crouching - Frequently
• Crawling - Occasionally
• Reaching - Frequently
• Handling - Frequently
• Grasping - Frequently
• Feeling - Constantly
• Talking - Constantly
• Hearing - Constantly
• Repetitive Motions - Constantly
• Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination - Constantly

Working Conditions:

• Extreme cold - Rarely
• Extreme heat - Rarely
• Humidity - Rarely
• Wet - Rarely
• Noise - Constantly
• Hazards - Frequently
• Temperature Change - Rarely
• Atmospheric Conditions - Rarely
• Vibration - Rarely

Thank you for your interest in Albany Medical Center! Albany Medical Center is an equal opportunity employer. This role may require access to information considered sensitive to Albany Medical Center, its patients, affiliates, and partners, including but not limited to HIPAA Protected Health Information and other information regulated by Federal and New York State statutes. Workforce members are expected to ensure that: Access to information is based on a "need to know" and is the minimum necessary to properly perform assigned duties. Use or disclosure shall not exceed the minimum amount of information needed to accomplish an intended purpose. Reasonable efforts, consistent with Albany Medical Center policies and standards, shall be made to ensure that information is adequately protected from unauthorized access and modification.