An end-of-life companion is a compassionate guide who supports individuals and families during the final stages of life. Combining practical care with emotional and spiritual presence, it facilitates the transition from life to death. Drawing on ancient traditions, end-of-life companions honor the sacred passage of death as a natural and meaningful part of life.

A death companion, also known as an end-of-life doula or death midwife, is a trained person who provides emotional, spiritual and practical support to individuals and families during the dying process. Just as birth doulas accompany people at the beginning of life, death companions facilitate the transition at the end of life.

Origins and roots

The modern death companion movement emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, inspired by:

Hospice and palliative care traditions, which focus on comfort and dignity at the end of life.

Ancestral and indigenous practices, where members of the community traditionally cared for the dying, washed and prepared the body, and created a ritual space for the transit of the soul.

In many cultures—from Celtic to African, Buddhist to Native American—death was once a communal event, witnessed and attended to with reverence. The rise of hospitals and the medicalization of death distanced people from that sacred process. The return of the companions of death represents a memory of that ancestral role: accompanying souls in their transition from this world to the afterlife.

Main tasks of a death companion

Death companions adapt their support to the needs of each person, but their work usually includes:

1. Emotional and spiritual support

* Create a safe space for fear, grief and reflection.

* Guide conversations about legacy, forgiveness and the meaning of life.

* Help create rituals or ceremonies that honor the beliefs of the person who is dying.

2. Practical assistance

*Assist with end-of-life planning, such as advance directives or funeral wishes.

* Coordinate care with family, palliative care team, and medical staff.

* Offer respite and a comforting presence to caregivers.

3. Accompaniment and transition care

* Accompany the person in their last hours or days.

* Create an atmosphere of peace through music, aromas, touch or silence. * Support for the family immediately after death, including care of the body and farewell rituals.

Returning to the sacred task

In this resurgence, companions of people in the process of dying reclaim death as a natural and sacred threshold, rather than a medical failure. They recover the idea that dying—like being born—can be a process with tenderness, reverence and ceremony.

Accompanying a person in the process of dying is accompanying them with presence and love on their journey towards mystery; to be a bridge between worlds, honoring both life and what lies beyond.

my own voice

My work as a companion of people in the process of dying focuses on helping people make the most of the time they have left, to find peace, presence and fulfillment. I guide each soul toward a serene and prepared transition, ensuring that both practical preparations and emotional closure are carefully attended to. Through my training and the profound practices it inspired, I have come to understand that most of us are not truly prepared to die, and that lack of preparation often prevents us from living fully. Too many people leave this world burdened with unfinished business, unsaid words, or thinking about paperwork instead of peace.

Being prepared for death is actually a way of being prepared for life; not in urgency or consumerism, but in the clarity, connection and freedom that comes from problem-solving.