Doulas and After Death Care

Resources

Doulas who offer services to families after the death must follow the laws in their state to avoid endangering the rights of families and to protect themselves against charges of practicing funeral directing without a license. NEDA recommends the following resources for educating and preparing doulas for providing after death care services.

The After-Death Care Educator Handbook

Includes previously published books and white papers under these titles:

Essentials for Practicing Home Funeral Guides —Forms, lists, and legal instructions for home funeral guides providing after death support to families in charge of their own funerals
Undertaken With Love: A Home Funeral Guide for Families and Community Care Groups — Step by step instructions for caring for the body after a death for families, community care groups, and home funeral guides
Planning Guide and Workbook for Home Funeral Families — A comprehensive workbook for writing down your final wishes plus all the things your DPOAF will need to complete them
Building Bridges Along the Death Care Continuum: Advocating for home funerals in hospices, hospitals, and care facilities — How to approach your local hospice, hospital or care facility to smooth the way for families choosing to bring a loved one home
Essays and more

Clarifying Roles

Read the study results Clearly Defined: Matching Our Terminology to Our Intentions conducted by the National Home Funeral Alliance that distinguished titles to avoid confusion or misleading the public and professionals.

2018, Roles in the Death Care Continuum, Lee Webster and Donna Belk for the National Home Funeral Alliance