Colorado End-of-Life Doulas are Dying to Help – Death Doulas Support the Dying and Their Families

July 2021, Denver, Colorado – The end-of-life doulas from the Colorado End-of-Life Collaborative are trained to guide and support the dying person and their loved ones through one of the most meaningful and difficult transitions in life–dying and death.

In America, the subject of death is the elephant in the middle of the dining room table. We pretend that it isn’t sitting there staring us down, waiting to introduce itself up close and personal. Our refusal to interact with death until we are compelled to do so leaves us afraid and unfamiliar with how to die well and how to help a loved one have a good death. The end-of-life doulas from the Colorado End-of-Life Collaborative (CEOLC) are trained and experienced in supporting and guiding the dying person and their loved ones up to, and through, the dying process. A recently formed non-profit in Denver, the CEOLC makes it possible for Coloradans to find an end-of-life doula (EOLD) in their community who can meet their needs.

“Every EOLD brings her unique personality and particular skills to the dying and their loved ones,” says Kerry Arquette, an end-of-life doula and co-founder of the Colorado End-of-Life Collaborative. “This is an imperative phase of life, and the dying must feel comfortable, confident, and connected to the doula they select.”

The Collaborative offers information about vetted, independent doulas, their services, and their contact information. The website also provides those who are dying and their loved ones with easily accessible answers to many questions about the process of working with an EOLD and explains what they offer, including support in the form of companionship, advocacy for the wishes of the dying, education about what happens during the dying process and what needs to happen before, respite for exhausted caretakers, planning for vigils and funerals, legacy work, as well as emotional, spiritual, and physical support, and much more.