It's not easy to talk about death. It can be depressing and scary, and often remains hidden in our culture. As a result, many people face their final moments alone in hospitals or nursing homes, hooked to clinical, life-prolonging technologies without loved ones or familiar surroundings to calm their fears and bring meaning to their end-of-life experience.
"...a growing movement of nurses, social workers and volunteers who are pushing for greater compassion and companionship for people who are dying. Borrowing language from the birthing world, they’re called death doulas, end-of-life doulas, death midwives and palliative care doulas."
"...a small and growing group of Americans are returning to a more hands-on, no-frills experience of death. In the world of “do it yourself” funerals, freezer packs are used in lieu of embalming, unvarnished wooden boxes replace ornate caskets, viewings are in living rooms..."