What is an end-of life doula?
Doula, n (dou;la): A non-medical professional who offers holistic, transitional support to another person by providing important information and guidance, as well as practical, emotional, and spiritual care.
Savior Doula Services provides this whole-person support to people and families facing a serious illness or an end-of-life experience.
Our mission is to help families care for loved ones at home with calm, comfort and connection, by providing the knowledge, skills, strategies and support necessary to make this possible.
You don't have to go through this alone.
End-of-life doulas are trained and certified to help meet the needs of people and families experiencing serious illness or the end of life.
We come alongside you, see what you need most in this sacred time, and begin working to help you meet those needs.
We understand that everyone's journey is unique in every way, and we provide unconditional positive regard and nonjudgmental support.
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Physical/Practical (comfort, cleanliness, calming methods, caregiver respite, resource referrals, advance directives, education on the normal dying process, much more)
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Emotional/Social (companionship, grief support, family mediation, peacemaking, advocacy, much more)
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Spiritual/Legacy (life and legacy review and projects, ceremonies and celebrations, ritual creation, memorial planning, remembrances, obituaries, eulogies, much more)
We can help with...
care & comfort
We can teach you how to keep your loved one clean, comfortable and safe while caring for yourself, and we can even provide physical assistance and care, in some cases.
vigil planning & sitting
We can help plan and coordinate loving vigils for the last weeks, days and hours of life - and we can sit vigil ourselves.
communication
We can facilitate family meetings and help work through issues and concerns, especially when there are conflicts or disagreements around care.
legacy / memorials
We can help with life review, coming to peace with the past and one's contributions - and the creation of legacy projects, celebrations and memorials.
care planning
We can help with advance directives and other care decision planning to promote peace of mind and family unity, while lessening the burdens on caregivers.
advocacy & so much more...
We can support the individual and their family through this sacred journey practically, emotionally and spiritually in a myriad of ways.
Anna Adams
Founder & Lead Doula
As a trained, NEDA-proficient* and highly-experienced End-of-Life Doula in the San Antonio, Texas area, Anna offers personalized planning and support for people and families preparing for future care needs or currently facing serious illness or the dying process. Anna works to ensure people and families have the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions about end-of-life care.
Anna possesses over twenty years' experience in hospice and elder care, as well as ten years' experience in High-Acuity Care with EMS. She is a Certified End-of-Life-Doula, Certified Life Planning Doula and a Certified Companion Doula. Anna is also the owner of Savior Doula Services, and she is the founder and lead instructor of the International Doula Life Movement. She also dedicates time to Holistic Care Hospice and Caring Hands Hospice in San Antonio, TX, as an on-staff End-Of-Life Doula and educator.
Please know that you do not have to have a terminal diagnosis or be actively dying in order to use Savior Doula Services and work directly with Anna or one of her certified doulas. We help people who just want to have a conversation about concerns they have around death and dying or questions about what to expect when a loved one passes - as well as those who want to plan ahead for the serious health problems and even crises most of us will face at some point in our lives.
Contact Anna at SaviorDoulaServices@gmail.com or 210-721-3422 today for a free initial consultation.
Testimonials
"a wealth of knowledge..."
"Anna is one of my most trusted resources. She has made all the difference in my life and my family's life as we navigate the last miles of my mom's dementia journey. She has a wealth of knowledge, a wisdom far beyond her years and a heart full of compassion. I have the utmost faith in her and any doula she sends to care for a loved one."
Michelle Stewart, MS, M.Ed, RN
"love and compassion..."
"Anna is truly amazing, I know it isn't always easy in her line of work but she does it with such grace, love and compassion. My family has had the honor of working with her in our time of need and she definitely made it so much easier on my family."
Amanda Rubio Almendarez
"will always cherish..."
"I will always cherish the helping hand my family got from Anna. She preserved that personal moment and so many more for my mother's dying days."
Andrea Aycock
Get in Touch
Let's chat and see how we can help. Our initial consultation is free. We can meet virtually or in person.
We offer tele-doula service for anyone outside of a 50-mile radius of San Antonio, Texas or if you prefer.
210-721-3422
Life & Care Planning Services
We can help individuals create and communicate a personal plan for the future, saving themselves and their loved ones unnecessary stress and suffering in times of crisis or serious health challenges:
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Help understanding what treatments you want (or don't want)
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Assistance creating advance directives (living wills)
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Information about choosing a health-care proxy
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Review of options to determine elder and end-of-life living plans
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Facilitation of family meetings and mediation to communicate choices
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Education on organ and tissue donation
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Support and strategies to organize your digital life
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Much more...
INCLUSIVE CARE
Savior Doula Services does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status. We support and provide nonjudgmental care to all our clients and families. We will support you and meet you and your family where you are, right now.
Why do we need end-of-life doulas, if we have hospice?
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Hospice's informational/educational time with the patient and family is very limited and focused on key tasks.
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Hospice provides profoundly important guidance, comfort and care, but they cannot provide companioning or caregiving services - beyond occasional brief and limited volunteer time.
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Hospice cannot address many other patient and family needs, due to resource constraints.
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End-of-life doulas are trained to help families and loved ones overcome varied and complex obstacles to peace, comfort and care at home, in partnership with hospice.
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Doulas help reinforce hospice care guidance and free families to focus on what is most important at this sacred time.
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Doulas can provide or arrange respite care for caregivers and families, allowing them peace of mind knowing that their loved one is not simply with a caregiver, but with a caregiver who understands the unique needs of the very ill and dying.
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Doulas can help plan and manage vigils (companionship and care of the dying in the last weeks, days and hours), even sitting vigil ourselves.
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Doulas can coordinate numerous family and circle-of-care responsibilities.
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Doulas can help struggling family members understand care decisions - facilitating meetings and mediations to help preserve family closeness in high-stress conditions..
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Doulas can advocate for clients and families with various agencies (including hospice).
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Doulas create space and affirmation for the mysterious and sacred, even creating rituals and ceremonies that bring peace, healing and love into the room and the experience.
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Doulas provide a sacred support after death, teaching after-death care and making sure that dignity and respect are honored during removal of body.
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Doulas do so much more... our holistic training is founded on an assessment/problem-solving model that means we meet each client and family where they are now and help to meet their unique needs.
Our Values
RESPECT THE INDIVIDUAL
As doulas, we respect the individual, no matter where in life they are. We provide nonjudgmental support.
CLIENTS & FAMILIES FIRST
Clients and families come first. We want to make sure no one has to go through this process alone.
ACT WITH INTEGRITY
You can count on us to be honest and have strong moral principles, operating according to the highest professional standards in our field.
Are you interested in becoming an End-of-Life Doula ?
The International Doula Life Movement trains end-of-of life doulas in the US, Canada and in other nations with live, online courses, classes on specialized topics, and continuing education for people who feel called to work with dying people and their families.
While the curriculum is thoughtful, practical, comprehensive, and accessible, our community is what really makes us special.
There is currently no state- or federally- recognized certification for this path-making work. However, there are numerous independent training and certification programs available, many costing several thousands of dollars (at a “discount”), more than most people can afford in today’s economic climate.
International Doula Life Movement was founded in order to provide new doulas the best foundation for their sacred work, at an affordable price (payment plans available), with no gimmicks or hidden fees.
Learn more about International Doula Life Movement’s classes and costs by viewing this recorded discovery call.
*NEDA Proficiency
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"A proficiency badge from NEDA signifies that these Core Competencies have been met. Families can know that an end-of-life doula who has earned a NEDA Proficiency Badge has met certain standards. Hospice and palliative care organizations can have the same confidence when hiring or making referrals to end-of-life doulas who have a NEDA Proficiency Badge. Savior Doula Services is proud to be NEDA proficient."
NEDAlliance.org