International End of Life Doula Training and Wellness Center Opens in New York City on May1st, 2015
New York, New York (PRWEB) April 14, 2015 -- End of Life Disconnect: 9/10 people polled by the National Hospice and palliative Care Organization said that they want to die in their homes, free of pain, surrounded by loved ones. Fact: 70% of people die in a hospital or other institution. “ Death is the 2nd leading fear in this country. It is this fear that keeps people from planning for or even talking about death being a natural part of our life’s journey, “ said O’Brien.
90% of people polled by The Conversation Project in 2010 say that talking about their wishes for end of life is important, yet 27% have actually done it. (http://theconversationproject.org)
Making The Change- A Global Outreach. After working for years as a hospice and oncology RN, it was this overt disconnect to end of life that prompted O’Brien to start writing educational programs on the subject in 2008, but it was while on a hospice volunteer trip to Zimbabwe, Africa that O’Brien got the idea for her End of Life Doula Program http://www.suzannebobrien.com. “The country at this time does not have all the resources that we are so privileged to have to help dying patients. What they were doing was taking a neighbor and training them to take care of a dying neighbor and their loved ones -Like a Doula.. Doula is a Greek word meaning non-medical person that cares for someone else physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It was a beautiful concept that made an enormous difference in reducing the stress level of the entire situation," said O'Brien
The New Area of Care Being Heard Around The World: End of Life Doula Training is going global. Also known as Death Doulas, Death midwives, and Soul Midwives, people all over the globe are embracing this empowering movement. The International End of Life Doula Training and Wellness Center NYC offers 3 levels of training. Level 1 EOLD Caregiver training is for everyone. It is a one-day workshop. It is a free/ suggested donation course and is part of the International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care’s Global Education directory. Level 2 EOLD is the Intensive Caregiver Training. It is a 2-day workshop, and Level 3 EOLD training is a 9-month certificate program. “The difference even the level 1 training has made for families has been incredible,” said O’Brien.
What Makes A Good Death? A Good Life: People who are dying can tell you everything you need to know about living, if we would just listen. What amazes O'Brien is the recurring themes that end of life patients share with her about the meaning of the life journey. The same wisdom rises over and over from all different cultural and religious backrounds. Based on this message about the importance of a life well lived, the Center will offer two workshops focusing on wellness and a life with meaning, drawing on O'Brien's training in exercise physiology, nutrition, and Transpersonal Psychology.
About Suzanne B. O’Brien
O’Brien is a former Hospice and Oncology Nurse who lives in New York City. She has studied preventative medicine and has incorporated her learning of exercise, nutrition, and Transpersonal Psychology into her workshops. O’Brien studied Reiki and holds a certificate from the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York. Her End of Life Doula Training has been featured in articles around the globe and on PBS’s HEALTHLINK series 4/10/14 http://video.pbs.org/video/2365216080/. The goal is to have Chapters of The International End of Life Doula Training and Wellness Center available globally within the next five years. Chapters in Albany, New York, Sacramento, California, and Curacao are set to open in fall 2015. The Level 1 EOLD caregiver training is free/donation. If you are interested in becoming a trainer or would like to bring a workshop to your community please contact. EOLDsuzanne(at)gmail(dot)com or visit http://www.suzannebobrien.com.
Source: The Conversation Project National Survey 2013 http://theconversationproject.org
Source: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization 2014 http://www.nhpco.org/sites/default/files/public/Statistics_Research/2014_Facts_Figures.pdf
Suzanne O'Brien, Suzanne B. O'Brien, http://www.suzannebobrien.com, +1 845-337-0389, [email protected]
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