End of Life Support
Facing the end of life is one of the most emotional and deeply personal experiences a family will ever navigate. During this time, families often need more than physical care—they need guidance, emotional support, compassionate presence, and someone who can help them navigate the journey with confidence and peace.
Through Cura’s End-of-Life Support Services, we provide compassionate, non-medical support for individuals and families during life’s final chapter. Because death is not just a medical event, it is a holistic journey for everyone, unique experience.
Working alongside hospice providers, physicians, nurses, spiritual leaders, and loved ones, we aim to create a peaceful, meaningful, and dignified experience for everyone involved.
What Is an End-of-Life Doula?
An End-of-Life Doula is a trained, experienced, non-medical professional who provides emotional, practical, educational, and compassionate support before, during, and after death.
Unlike medical providers, an End-of-Life Doula focuses on the human experience—helping individuals and families prepare, communicate, reflect, and feel supported throughout the journey.
This service complements, but does not replace, hospice or palliative care.
Our Services May Include
- Emotional support for individuals and families
- Advance care planning conversations and documents preparation
- Legacy projects and life review
- Guidance through difficult family conversations
- Vigil planning and support during the final days and hours
- Comfort presence for individuals who may otherwise be alone
- Family education and preparation
- Coordination with hospice and other care providers
- Bereavement resources and follow-up support
- Organize personal belongings
- Create a personal plan
Working Alongside Hospice & Palliative Care
Many families wonder whether they need both hospice and an End-of-Life Doula. Often, the two work beautifully together.
Hospice provides essential medical care, symptom and pain management, and clinical oversight. However, hospice teams are generally limited in the amount of time they can spend with an individual and family each week.
An End-of-Life Doula provides non-medical support with greater flexibility, with hours arranged around the individual’s and family’s personal needs. This may include compassionate presence, practical guidance, education, preparation, and experienced support throughout the end-of-life journey.
End-of-Life Doulas do not replace hospice or palliative care. Rather, they complement and enhance the non-medical support surrounding the individual and their loved ones, helping families feel less alone and more supported during an extraordinarily difficult and meaningful time.
Together, hospice, palliative care, and End-of-Life Doula support can create a more comprehensive and deeply personal circle of care.
Susan Stout, End-Of-Life Doula
We are pleased to introduce you to Susan Stout from Caring Bridge who will be partnering with Cura Home Care Services to provide our end-of-life support service. From Susan:
“We don’t get to practice dying, we can only prepare for it” is what motivates me to engage in this work. It’s easy to forget that our lives are finite, and it’s hard to hold that idea with with curiosity and acceptance -instead of fear and denial. It’s important to understand that preparing ahead is not only beneficial to ourselves but it’s also a tremendous gift for our loved ones. Receiving a terminal diagnosis or feeling illness and frailty advance can be a lonely thing. I step into this space with you, hold your hand and help smooth away some sharp edges. We talk and plan and make sure your wishes get honored every step of the way. I learned how to do this not only through my training but through my own life.
I am certified though Lifespan Doulas, am a member of NEDA (National End of Life Doula Association), INELDA and hold the NEDA Proficiency Badge. As a volunteer with the Palliative Care Team at Stamford Hospital, I get to nurture the sacred time with families and individuals nearing end of life.
Our Philosophy
At Cura, we believe that every stage of life deserves compassion, respect, and thoughtful support.
The final chapter is no exception.
Our role is to help individuals live fully until the very end while ensuring families never feel they have to navigate this journey alone.
Every person’s story matters.
Every family’s experience matters.
Every goodbye deserves to be met with dignity, compassion, and presence.
