Frequently Asked Questions

Mediumship is the practice of  mediating messages from the spirit world to the physical world. All mediums work in their own unique ways, so one experience may vary greatly from the next, even with the same medium. Most mediumship in our current times is done mentally. Spirits send visual symbols, thoughts, and physical sensations to the medium, which the medium then has to interpret. Spirit always wants to bring through loving, healing messages to those of us here on Earth, and their main goal is to protect us and show us that they are always with us, even when times get tough. Penny is able to connect with passed loved ones, spirit guides, and angels. She does not entertain question of curses, dark entities, or attachments, as that is not where her spiritual path has led her to.

An End of Life Doula is a non-medical professional that provides holistic support for the dying and their loved ones before, during, and after death, so that they may have the most loving, peaceful, and painless experience possible. Trained in all three phases of end of life, the doula is able to assist and guide the family with understanding the natural processes of death while offering interventions for comfort in order to ensure the highest quality of life every day for both the patient and family. 

The Emotion Code is a form of energy work. This tool is used to help enable people to get rid of their emotional baggage. The technique works to identify and release trapped emotions, which are harmful emotional energies from negative past events. Trapped emotions can cause a variety of physical and emotional issues. They can block people from feeling love and happiness and can make them feel disconnected from others. Because trapped emotions are made of energy, just like the rest of the body, they exert an influence on the body’s tissues and can cause physical discomfort. Releasing trapped emotions makes conditions right for the body to heal itself physically, and emotional difficulties often disappear or become much easier to handle.

Time and roles. The hospice nurse is the medical manager of the terminal patient with limited time at the bedside. The doula is the non-medical professional that is the eyes and ears of the case with no time limitations. The doula alerts the hospice team to any changes in the patient's presentation so that the hospice nurse can assess and update the care plan for maximum daily comfort of the patient (the goal of hospice).

An End of Life Doula can do everything EXCEPT give medication or do any form of medical treatment or wound care. The hospice volunteer needs to follow Medicare regulations that prohibit any form of touching, moving, feeding, bathing, toileting etc. The hospice volunteer in most US states is limited to a maximum weekly bedside visit of 4 hours. The average volunteer visit is 1-2 hours a week. This does not provide the adjunct support that patients and families so desperately need at this stressful time.

No. End of Life Doulas are private pay. All “companion” services such as Home Instead, Visiting Angels, Comfort Keepers etc. are all private pay. Most End of Life Doulas have a sliding scale payment option.

Yes. An End of Life Doula has a ”scope of practice”  that includes everything from the time of a terminal diagnosis to helping patients and families as the illness progresses, to the vigil, time of death, after death care, understanding and honoring grief, and finally recover of life after loss.

Most hospice teams leave a case after the patient has died. Many times families are feeling this as another loss. Hospice does offer bereavement services for up to a year or 15 months in most states. This is usually initiated by a call from a volunteer and the living family member is told about monthly support groups that they may attend. The original hospice team that worked with the family is not part of this service.

Yes. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the membership organization for all the hospices in the US. They have just put together The End of Life Doula Council to be able to share with hospices and families how the professional End of Life Doula can assist and complete the hospice team to fill in “the gaps in care” and allow for the best end of life experience for both the patient and their loved ones.