End-of-Life Studies

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøÆØÒ»Çø¶þÇø has been a leader and innovator in End-of-Life Studies since 2016 when we created the End-of-Life Doula (EOLD) course. End-of-life doulas are non-medical professionals who focus on all aspects of a person's life as they journey through the end of their lives. EOLDs have emerged as key players and allies in the Canadian health and social care systems to meet increasing needs by empowering, educating, and encouraging people to become actively involved in end-of-life decisions.

Since its inception, over 3,000 students taken the course to gain a deeper understanding of the questions and issues that arise at end-of-life. Many have gone on to become practicing end-of-life doulas but others have used their new-found skills in family medicine, palliative care, hospice care, or even their own personal lives.

Other schools recognize ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøÆØÒ»Çø¶þÇø’s leadership

The University of Ottawa’s encourages students to take the EOLD course as one of the program’s electives. Students from the U of O can take the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøÆØÒ»Çø¶þÇø course and get U of O credits.

Indigenous End-of-Life Guide

In 2018, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøÆØÒ»Çø¶þÇø partnered with the in British Columbia in creating an Indigenous End-of-Life Guide course that uses the Two-Eyed seeing approach to blend traditional and western end-of-life practices. This course material has been successfully rolled out in indigenous communities across Canada.

Metis End-of-Life Guide

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøÆØÒ»Çø¶þÇø has partnered with the to create a Metis version of our EOLD course. Multiple consultations with elders and other community members allowed us to create a Metis End-of-Life Guide course that will be go live in British Columbia in 2025. We plan to roll the course out across Canada at a later date.

Grief and bereavement

In 2024, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøÆØÒ»Çø¶þÇø created a follow-up course called End-of-Life Doula II: Grief and Bereavement. The goal of this course is to give graduates of the EOLD course some additional resources to when helping individuals experiencing grief.

Media

  • (TriCity News, 2017)
  • (CBC, 2019)
  • (S4:EP38:2022)
  • (YouTube, 2019)

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