Death Doula Winnie & Personal Care Services Inc.

One of the reasons why I decided to get certified to become a death doula was to help more people remember their last moments with their ones in a more positive and loving way. I've heard too many times people say that 'I starved my mother to death', or that 'I overdosed my father and he died'. I follow Barbara Karnes who recently lost her spouse and is now reflecting on her own experience with losing a loved one and wearing her professional hospice nurse 'hat' she wrote an interesting article about food at the end of life. I thought you may find it interesting to read. It talks about our human nature to feed our loved ones. As someone who is preparing to die, they will eat less and less. Forcing them to eat will likely cause more problems and lead to a faster death. So instead of creating contentious moments around food and begging your loved ones to eat, do something that both of you may love to do such as looking through family photos, old videos of the kids, or even just watching your favourite sport on TV.

It's Okay Not To Eat! Food At End of Life My husband Jack has been dead eight months. In processing the five months from his diagnosis to his death, what stands out most for me is the tension that surrounded food. AND I KNEW BETTER!

I recently got my Reiki level II certification. I do believe that everyone has energy flowing through their body and with this training, I hope to help clients remove any negative energy and replace it with some bright new energy. I've also learned more about healing energy too. I've got more practice to do, but with the help of Stephanie at I am exploring and learning so much.

This podcast is US based, but the role of the death doula or end of life doula is universal. As a death doula, I have the time to spend with families to educate and support them anywhere from when they are told from a doctor that 'we can't fix you' to the moments after a loved one passes away. This podcast is informative and so helpful in sharing what I believe is a big gap in improving how we can support the families and individuals through the dying process in Canada.

Ep.3: What's the Role of an End-of-Life Doula — And How Can They Support the Dying Process? - Home Care Pulse Our new podcast host, Melissa Mendez, joins Miriam Allred to talk about her passions/hobbies, background in home care, and what you can expect in season 2 of Vision: The Care Leaders' Podcast.

Thank-you to Ashley Barnabe Photography for taking time out of your busy day to support a new local business women! Ashley has taken several photos of my family over the years and has so graciously gifted my business a mini photo session to help personalize my website and social media presence. You are truly amazing and thank-you for supporting my dreams to make this all come to life 🥰

August 2023 would have been the tenth year anniversary
since the passing of my grandmother. She passed away 6 days before my wedding. I saw all the signs that she was nearing the end of her life. She told me that she wasn't going to make it to my wedding and said that I should go have fun. She knew that she was dying and had accepted that fact. I kissed her good-bye and said that I love you. That was the last time I was able to see her. Sadly, after she passed away, due to the cultural and religious beliefs my family had, I was not allowed to be involved nor was I allowed to participate in the rituals, funeral, burial and say my last good-byes to my grandmother. There was a lot of hurt and painful memories during that time as some relatives blamed me for not saving her because I had more medical knowledge and should have fought more with the doctors to save her. The fact is, she couldn't be 'fixed' and I wish there was someone there to support my family through this process because there were so many people in denial that she was dying. Now, fast forward a decade. I want to reduce the fears around talking about death and help families understand what is a normal process around the 'labour of dying'. My goal now is to educate families and support their loved ones transition at the end of life. I want families to create a sacred memory of their loved ones last moments living instead of remembering it with any fear, resentment, or guilt.