Several years ago, I started hearing about a new kind of community-based care role. Some called themselves ‘end-of-life doula’; others identified themselves as a ‘death doula’ or a ‘death midwife’. These terms describe people (primarily women) who provide a wide range of social, emotional, practical, and spiritual supports for people nearing the end of life,… Continue reading
The authors of this blog have both been involved in palliative care for over a decade, albeit for different reasons. Claire Morris is a global palliative care advocate within a palliative care international non-governmental organisation and Lucy Watts has been accessing palliative care services since she was 17 years old as a result of a rare,… Continue reading
There has been a seismic shift in the way that funeral ceremonies are conducted in the wake of Covid-19. The effects of this on the bereaved are yet to be meaningfully understood. This conversation between a funeral celebrant and a mourner (at separate events) acknowledges the disruption caused. The impact of these changes, particularly the… Continue reading
‘Total Pain’ as the Pain of a Lifetime This post looks at Cicely Saunders’ influential term ‘total pain’ in terms of endings and limits. ‘Total pain’ articulates how pain for someone whose life is ending is a whole overwhelming experience which combines physical, psychological, social and spiritual elements. My own PhD project looks at how… Continue reading
I’m ridiculously pleased to announce that I have been appointed Program Convenor of the new End of Life Studies Degree Program starting in January 2021 (MSc/PgDip/PgCert). As many of you will be aware, for the last three years I have had the distinct privilege of being a research fellow with the End of Life Studies… Continue reading
Dr. Caroline Cupit This blog sits at the intersection of my professional and personal experiences. I am a social scientist at University of Leicester, and I use ethnographic and qualitative interview methods to study the social organisation of healthcare, and to support quality improvement. I also have previous experience in hospice care. This blog is… Continue reading
Our investigation into the barriers to dying at home for people living in poverty in the UK has become even more important considering the Covid-19 pandemic. This is because Covid-19 and the resulting lockdown has increased levels of poverty and worsened conditions for those already experiencing poverty. As of September 2020, we have begun recruitment… Continue reading
To mark David Clark’s retirement at the end of September 2020, I thought it would be fitting to take a moment to reflect on his career from the perspective of a range of colleagues who have worked with him in different ways over the years. David has achieved so much over his long career in… Continue reading
