Miss Ellen's - End of Life Doula

08/12/2024

End of Life Doulas - Preparing Your Way is where I completed my end of life foundations and intensive courses. I began these courses with the intention of helping support my mum, my family and myself through mums end of life journey. I am so grateful I did because it prepared us in ways that otherwise would have added a lot more 'stresses'.

If you know someone who might benefit from this, please do referr them to End of life Doulas - Preparing the Way.

Much Love to ALL 🕊📿✨️

At Preparing the Way, we offer empowering training for every stage of your journey in end of life care.

🌟 Foundation Workshop: Learn the essentials of doula care, including critical conversations and the ten stages of end of life.

✨ Intensive Course: Dive deeper with four days of immersive training, covering physical, emotional, and spiritual support. Plus, join our supportive community of doulas.

💫 End of Life Doula Skill Set: Take the professional pathway with accredited training in holistic care, funeral planning, and after-death support.

Our workshops are accessible online and in person across Australia.

🔗 Find your course: preparingtheway.com.au

07/12/2024

An aspect of the grief I've been navigating through is the poor level of medical, nursing and personal care my mum received in her last couple of years of life. It is utterly disgraceful and disgusting. I am so glad she had me by her side. My mum suffered greatly. Everything she went through I went through because I was with her every step of the way. I couldn't not, not let her go through this without the highest of care, advocacy and support.

Sharing some of the experiences we went through, with the intention of educating and sharing knowledge, creates change.

Due to mum's nursing staff not reading her notes or handing over sufficiently, they were unaware at double staff time that mum had a fracture to her spine that caused extreme pain when moved suddenly. This one time, all I heard from behind the curtains was mum crying out, 'Sam, where are you. Sam', when a nurse had moved mum without warning or consent. If you'd like to know how I handled that situation, please comment and I'll share.

But for now, I'll say, I am an advocate for our elderly generation and I share this message with compassion 📿

25/11/2024

With knowing all to well the sacrifices that come with being a carer, it's a transition that requires support. Please do reach out, I have been where you are and can offer support and resources, an understanding heart with sprinkles of compassion and encouragement 🕊

25/11/2024

A beautiful excerpt into Expected Death and giving yourself permission in taking time ✨️💚✨️

"When someone dies, the first thing to do is nothing. Don't run out and call the nurse. Don't pick up the phone. Take a deep breath and be present to the magnitude of the moment.

There's a grace to being at the bedside of someone you love as they make their transition out of this world. At the moment they take their last breath, there's an incredible sacredness in the space. The veil between the worlds opens.

We're so unprepared and untrained in how to deal with death that sometimes a kind of panic response kicks in. "They're dead!"

We knew they were going to die, so their being dead is not a surprise. It's not a problem to be solved. It's very sad, but it's not cause to panic.

If anything, their death is cause to take a deep breath, to stop, and be really present to what's happening. If you're at home, maybe put on the kettle and make a cup of tea.

Sit at the bedside and just be present to the experience in the room. What's happening for you? What might be happening for them? What other presences are here that might be supporting them on their way? Tune into all the beauty and magic.

Pausing gives your Soul a chance to adjust, because no matter how prepared we are, a death is still a shock. If we kick right into "do" mode, and call 911, or call the hospice, we never get a chance to absorb the enormity of the event.

Give yourself five minutes or 10 minutes, or 15 minutes just to be. You'll never get that time back again if you don't take it now.

After that, do the smallest thing you can. Call the one person who needs to be called. Engage whatever systems need to be engaged, but engage them at the very most minimal level. Move really, really, really, slowly, because this is a period where it's easy for body and soul to get separated.

Our bodies can gallop forwards, but sometimes our Souls haven't caught up. If you have an opportunity to be quiet and be present, take it. Accept and acclimatize and adjust to what's happening. Then, as the train starts rolling, and all the things that happen after a death kick in, you'll be better prepared.

You won't get a chance to catch your breath later on. You need to do it now.

Being present in the moments after death is an incredible gift to yourself, it's a gift to the people you're with, and it's a gift to the person who's just died. They're just a hair's breadth away. They're just starting their new journey in the world without a body. If you keep a calm space around their body, and in the room, they're launched in a more beautiful way. It's a service to both sides of the veil."

~ Sarah Kerr,
Ritual Healing Practitioner and Death Doula
https://sacreddeathcare.com

25/11/2024

Some of my biggest achievements have been gaining a strong foundation and caring for eleven yrs prior to my enrolled nurse diploma, caring full time for my mother and supporting her through to her end of life, and being a live-in carer to an elderly lady who lived inside the palace walls of Hampton Court Palace.
(King Henry IIIV's Palace)

I have skills navigating My Aged Care & the healthcare system, patient advocacy, advance care directives, linking you in with other resources if required, and more.

How can I support you?

Samara Ellen 🌸

25/11/2024

Reach me, Samara Ellen, Independent Carer on the Mable platform. Alternatively, you can send me a message, and we can discuss how I can support you.

A key strength and passion lay in my ability to care for our elderly generation in their own homes and community, including hospital patient advocacy, palliative care, and end of life care.

I embody patience, respect, integrity, and a deep sense of care with a sprinkle of magic.

My capacity to hold space and support you comes from twenty-five years of experience. I am skilled in complex health, chronic, and acute health with confidence to support you.

I am a friendly and passionate person who enjoys supporting our elderly to remain in their own homes, empowering them to live as independently as possible in their community.

l hope to make a genuine difference in your life by drawing on my empathetic and grounded nature, as I support you in your own unique needs.

I look forward to getting to know you and hearing your stories on lifes' journey.

Samara Ellen 🌸

07/10/2024

With an accumulated twenty-five years of experience in aged care, I am confident in supporting you in your needs, goals, and wishes.

Heart health, liver and gastrointestinal, respiratory health, osteoparosis, poor cognitive function, hip breaks or fractures, osteoarthritis, cancer, and cancer treatments are a few of the cubbyhole nooks I confident in supporting you with.

Arterial lines, urine catheters, stoma/colostomies, wounds, peg feeds; hakuna matata. I have you supported with the care I provide.

Specialising in caring for the elderly, aged care, the frail, palliative, or who are approaching end of life.

Supports include
- hospital & healthcare advocacy
- My Aged Care coordination
- carer respite
- medical appointment support
- transport
- showering, dressing, and everyday living support
- hoist and lifter transfers
- advance care directives
- end of life care and vigiling

My certificates include
- enrolled nursing diploma
- certificate IV in Community Services
- end of life doula
- auslan/sign language level 1
- mental health first aider
- first aid and CPR
- manual handling
- infection control
- Reiki

Packages are available
FREE meet and greets

Samara Ellen 🌸

14/03/2024

The closer the end of life gets for some, the more scared and fearful they may feel. If you're feeling able to, and you're with someone who seems scared or fearful of dying, sit with them and talk with them. Comfort them.

Ask them about the people in their life who have already passed. What do they miss about them and the things that they love about them, or makes them frustrated. Get them excited about maybe seeing them again. What would they say or do to them if they ever saw them again? Have a laugh. Get them excited about maybe seeing them again.

Sit and talk to them while doing their nails or giving them a hand massage about their childhood, their youth, when they met the love of their life, what animals they had. Listen actively, allow them to get their story out, do some investigating, get all the juicy secrets because they may need to get things off their chest, release some things; their story, and they may not know this is what they need.

When you dont know what to do, bring comfort.

👣🌸🩷🕊

24/02/2024

Offering support with Advance Care Directives.

What an important step forward in planning for your future healthcare.

It replaces enduring powers of guardianship, medical powers of attorney and anticipatory directions. Your wishes are upheld at all times.

Write down your wishes, preferences and instructions for your future health care, end of life, living arrangements, personal matters, and/or appoint one or more substitute decision-makers to make these decisions on your behalf, if you are unable to do so in the future.

At some point in your life, there may come a time when you may be unable to make your own decisions. It could be because

• of a sudden accident or serious mental health episode
• dementia or similar condition
• sudden serious stroke
• unconscious or in a coma.

If this happened, how would you want decisions to be made for you?

Assisting in creating a strong platform and foundation for your healthcare wishes is the support I offer.

Samara Ellen 🪽

ACD file download:
http://www.advancecaredirectives.sa.gov.au/

12/02/2024

Wishing you peace,
the quieting of your soul,
gentle words of comfort,
a soft place to land
and all the love
you can hold
in your heart.

📜 Jody Doty
📸 uncredited



🕯🪽🤍🕊

08/02/2024

Light a candle & Believe🕯

It we don't believe it is within the realm of possibility, if we don't believe it is possible; that they can communicate with us from the other side, then we are blocking the possibility and energy transference. They know they can't get through and don't want to confuse or scare you. Be curious. Invite divine guidance and communication by talking to them. The money you keep finding, the song you keep hearing, the perfume you keep smelling, the coincidences you keep seeing, the feathers and the flicker of the lights or radio are 'them' connecting and communicating from the realm of Spirit. Believe.

I remember a dream I had about 9 months after my fathers death, I had woken up and walked into the kitchen and dad was there. I was confused. I said to him, 'you're not dead dad, you're still here'. He said back to me, 'Sam, I'll always be here', I'm not going anywhere'.

I woke up from my sleep, ran into the kitchen to find dad wasn't there. However, in that moment, I knew it was dad coming to visit me and communicate with me. From this moment forward, I knew and know he is always around.

May you find comfort and hope today, and may you receive divine communication from your loved one and know you are loved and supported.

✨️🪽🌄🕊💌

03/02/2024

On the 18th of February it will be 26 years since you took your last breathe, Dad.

Grief is an emotion that i don't feel ever ceases. An earthly emotion that we can not escape from. That's because we are emotional beings.

Grief for me is like, i wish i had spent more time with you. Grief for me is, i wish i got to know you better, i wish i had asked for more stories from you. Grief for me is, I've missed out on so much with you; seeing me graduate from all my studies, giving me advice on men, providing safety for me while i was growing up. Grief for me is, I've missed out on so much; you walking me down the isle and giving me away at my wedding, holding your grandchildren and making memories. Grief for me is missing those Sunday's I'd wake up to, from the smell of your cooked breakfast cooking, and the side plate for me and for your children because you know, we'll want some of yours. Grief for me is, I still miss you.

Grief is experienced in many ways. This is your permission slip to feel your grief today and know all is ok.

To anyone who has lost the physical time with their loved one, I hope you feel a sense of deep peace within your grief today and know you're going to be ok.

Love Samara Ellen
🌸🕊🪽🤍✨️

03/02/2024

Time is precious, a gift that can not be bought, nor can it be taken back or extendered.

Time is most often taken for granted, until time becomes limited.

Grief, denial, fear; these are natural emotions you or your family may feel. With awareness, you may see behaviours of 'control' and 'panic', these emotions are also a normal and natural reaction. And its ok.

Things become irrelevant or less/not important to you or your family when you or someone you know is in their end stages of life.

Life is precious. Life is a gift. The gift of time.

Spiritually and scientifically, energy never dies. It transforms. When your physical body is coning to its 'end of life', you, the life and spirit of you, you transform and move on like a butterfly does from its original body.

I truly believe that peace and tranquillity from your earthly armour and any suffering is felt, and with this comes freedom, limitlessness and a deep peace and nurture.

Time can feel like it stands still, for a moment in time, while everyone catches their breath. In that moment, the last breath becomes sacred and treasured.

Time can feel like a constraint, it can feel like a tightening, but when we become spiritually aware, the tightening releases because i truely believe that you will be back, in spirit form one day. I'll smell your perfume or I'll find the feather you've left me showing me you're around.

So please dont worry, all is exactly as it should be. Everything is alright. You are safe. You are in the wings of your Angel.

Love Samara Ellen 🕊🍽🪽🤍



📸 : unsure of artist

27/01/2024

Education & talking about death and dying helps to prepare and brings understanding with what to expect when someone you know is in their active stages of dying. As a Doula, we support you by educating and talking through the different common stages so you have the knowledge and feel more at ease, peace with what's happening and less distressed. Knowing and understanding what the body naturally goes through allows for comfort while grieving, and it's okay.

When a death is expected and someone you know is actively dying, common changes you will see is their eating and drinking will stop, and they will become unresponsive. This doesnt mean they don't still 'hear', they do, so continue to talk to them. Toes and fingers, and the body will become cool to touch, their colour changes, their body may appear sunken, and breathing changes. When breathing changes it may become more lumbered and mucousy, this can create distress for friends and family. However, medication nursing staff can administer to settle this is available. The medication for this is not intrusive, and doesnt cause pain for the actively dying person. It's more to help support the friends and family rather then the actively dying person, to bring comfort and ease. These are all signs the body is actively dying and its okay.

Are you feeling overwhelmed, please reach out. I'd be happy to help you.

🪽💌✨️

25/01/2024

“How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart
And give to this world
All its
Beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light
Against its Being.
Otherwise,
We all remain
Too
Frightened”
― Hafez

Today I hope you see the Light, the Light or glimpse of hope that reminds you, the sun will shine again. In pockets of your day, I hope you're greeted with compassion, empathy and Love Today.
🤍🕊🪽

25/01/2024

In everything I do, I bring honour & integrity with me. My actions are guided by sincere & ethical care; all bound by trust, honesty & a deep respect.

My love, you will see in my actions of honour, sincerity & integrity. Guidance & compassion is what I serve. At the core of everything I do, is genuine Love and care.

I am an End of Life Doula, how can I help you?

Samara Ellen
🕊🤍🪽