“To be among the dying & to know it, that is another word for love.”

— Carvell Wallace

support

I provide non-medical, holistic support to individuals, families, and caregivers navigating the dying process—working alongside and complementing the care of your hospice team. Through thoughtful planning, advocacy, and a steady, compassionate presence, I help bring clarity and grounded support to an often uncertain and tender time. Because every death is unique, support is shaped around your needs, values, and circumstances. It may include:

Practical consulting & Caregiver support

  • Assess immediate needs and provide practical solutions, resources, and referrals

  • Assist with end-of-life planning, advanced directives, and care coordination

  • Offer supportive medication education and tracking (as directed by hospice)

  • Reinforce and support the education provided by hospice, including comfort and care measures such as changing briefs, repositioning, and maintaining skin integrity

  • Reassure and normalize the dying process with calm, validating presence

  • Help caregivers observe and document changes in comfort, pain, restlessness, or condition for effective communication with the hospice team

  • Create a safe, comfortable, and functional environment for care and meaningful connection

Holistic & Emotional Care Practices

  • Co-create surroundings, rituals, and comforts desired during dying and after death

  • Facilitate client-guided conversations about life, death, values, and what matters most

  • Hold space for life review, unresolved issues, and deep emotional processing

  • Advocate for dignity, comfort, and personal choice at every stage

  • Ease pain, fear, anticipatory grief, or anxiety through deep listening, guided meditation/breath work, music, favorite items, spiritual/personal readings, end-of-life massage/positioning, aromatherapy, Reiki, or other supportive practices that aid in moving through these processes

  • Offer compassionate support to caregivers, helping them navigate anticipatory grief, decision-making, and the emotional weight of caring for someone at the end of life

Near-death vigil and bedside presence

  • Offer routine check-ins (phone or in-person) as death approaches

  • Help plan and organize the death bed vigil (“11th hour” support)

  • Hold sacred space for the dying person and family during active dying and immediately after, adapting to your needs and wishes

  • Assist in notifying hospice, friends, and family of the death

After-Death & Transition Care

  • Coordinate and support mortuary or funeral home transfer, visitation, and logistical details.

  • Offer education and practical support for safely keeping or bringing the body home for a home visitation, service, or extended time prior to transport

  • Provide hands-on guidance for caring for the body after death, including ceremonial washing, tending to hair and other personal details, honoring the body with gentle placement of essential oils or chosen scent, and dressing or shrouding according to the wishes and intentions of the deceased and caregivers

  • Offer guidance on social media communication, obituaries, or memorial announcements

  • Provide early grief support for families and caregivers

Specialized Guidance & Resources (consultations or referrals as needed)

  • Advance directives and legal considerations

  • VSED (Voluntarily Stopping Eating & Drinking)

  • Funeral homes, disposition options (including lower-cost choices)

  • Green burials, private property burials, home funerals, living funerals/celebrations of life

  • One on one grief support, including queer & trans-affirming grief support

  • Legacy projects (photography, writing, creative tributes)

  • Arrangements for pet care, rehoming, or pet euthanasia/memorial support (including pet doula services in-home or at clinic)

  • 24/7 caregiver or facility support

  • Home organization or Swedish Death Cleaning

  • End-of-life massage therapy / Reiki

  • Support for dying with dementia

  • Veterans resources and Veteran’s Final Salute

  • Resources on the topic of death and dying

location & pricing

In-person support is available throughout the greater San Antonio area. Most services can also be offered remotely via Zoom, FaceTime, phone and secure messaging. Doula services are not covered by Medicare. My consultation rate is $125 per hour, with thoughtfully structured packages at a reduced rate. My rates reflects the level of attention, depth of presence, knowledge, emotional capacity, and heart-centered care required to accompany individuals and families through this sacred process.

At the same time, I believe financial barriers should not prevent access to meaningful end-of-life support. If cost is a concern, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I offer sliding-scale options based on individual circumstances, payment plans, limited pro bono support, and free resources whenever possible. If you are looking for around-the-clock companionship, I have recommendations for insured caregivers in the price range of $25-$30 an hour. I’m always open to a transparent, no-pressure conversation to explore what feels workable and aligned for you.

Are we a good fit?

The best place to begin is with a conversation. You’re invited to complete the form below to schedule a complimentary 20-minute Zoom or phone call. We’ll discuss what’s happening, explore how I may be able to help, and determine whether working together feels right. You’re also welcome to email this information directly.

If we decide to move forward, we’ll schedule a two hour in-person consultation at my hourly consultation rate. During this time, we’ll review practical planning, current concerns, and the kind of support that would be most helpful. I’ll offer guidance, answer questions, and share relevant resources. From there, we can discuss whether ongoing support is needed and what that care may look like.

You or your loved one does not need to be on hospice to reach out. In fact, the earlier we begin these conversations, the more clarity and steadiness they bring. I’m honored to meet individuals and families at any stage of this process.