FAQ

The Weekly Sunset Circle is a come-when-you-can gathering, where people come together to discuss topics that touch on death, dying, and end of life. It is every Wednesday evening, 7-8pm CST. The Circle takes place online, so you can join anywhere from your computer. It is a give-what-you-can offering, with no set cost to participate. The topic is chosen ahead of time, and once you sign up, you will be sent an email confirmation with a Zoom link and a link to any resources that will help get you thinking about the topic before we meet. If you don't have time to watch the associated video or read the article, no problem! It is not required. Click on the image below for detailed instructions on how to participate.

There is some overlap in all of these roles, but each has its own scope of practice. An end-of-life coach works with you one-on-one or in a group to determine your ideal vision for the end of your life and identify how to take reasonable steps to move closer to this vision from your current reality. Spiritual realms and practical realms and everything in between are addressed. A death doula's role can take many shapes. The death doula might help you plan your funeral, help you create a Legacy Project, initiate difficult conversations with your loved ones to facilitate meaningful dialogue, or tend to you physically through ritual during the dying process. Some death doulas also help with things like housework and bathing. A coach and doula do not provide medical services. (Here you can find the end-of-life doula's Code of Ethics: http://www.nedalliance.org/code-of-ethics.html) A hospice nurse tends to your clinical and medical needs, such as caring for wounds, managing symptoms, communicating with the hospice healthcare team, educating you and your family about pain medications, and making sure home oxygen is delivered and available when needed.

If you are interested in emotional, mental, and spirit support as you sift through concepts surrounding death and dying, an end-of-life coach might be for you. They work with you to bring clarity and comfort to the dying process, whether you have a terminal illness or are preparing for the sake of your loved ones. Individuals who are dying or healthy, 97 or 23, well-supported or in need of greater support have benefitted from working with an end-of-life coach. A coach can help you recognize your values and desires and how these shape your end of life decisions. A coach will not give you answers, but will listen and guide and ask questions to lead you to your own answers.

Yes! An end-of-life coach can work with you to identify your values and desires and establish a plan to ensure as best as possible these are honored before you die and during the dying process. You might be neutral about elements of the end of life process or post-death time period, but your loved ones may not be. A coach can help your loved ones make necessary decisions.

An end-of-life coach can direct you towards resources for legal and financial guidance. They might ask you questions to help you find your own answers, but otherwise, giving advice in these realms is outside of the scope of practice for both a coach and doula.

A sliding scale is a fee framework that takes into account the reality that finances, accessibility, and resources are not equally available to all people at all times. A sliding scale system includes multiple fee options in order to make services more accessible to a wider audience. Sometimes this requires proof of income, sometimes it is based on an honor system. At Life at Sunset, services that include a sliding scale fee are offered on an honor system. Life is in constant flux, especially at this uncertain time- incomes, expenses, family needs are ever-changing. I do not need proof of any numbers, ask no questions, and trust that whatever fee that is chosen is done so with the understanding that what I offer is of value and that what you offer is of value. Most services that offer sliding scale do so with the understanding that it all evens out in the end- some are able to pay more and some are not, and it all shakes out. I am more than happy to have a conversation if you would like guidance.