(Washington Post via MSN) – You can hire a death doula anytime after a terminal diagnosis, but it’s more common during hospice care, which is end-of-life care for people with a life expectancy of six months or less that focuses on providing comfort and quality of life rather than a treatment or cure. “People don’t always realize hospice isn’t 24/7,” said Patterson. “A death doula can be there as much as you want them to.”

Given their close work with dying people and their families, death doulas have a unique perspective. Below, they share insights into what they’ve learned about the end of life. (Read More)