Birdwing Holistic Care
End-of-Life Doula Services
& Certified Bedside Support
Assad Assad, PhD, CHPNA
This is love:
to fly toward a secret sky,
to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment.
First to let go of life.
Finally, to take a step without feet.
~ Rumi
full service end-of-life support
My holistic services bring you continuity of care, reducing the number of different providers and services you have to manage and organize.
As an end-of-life doula, I serve as a support person for you and your care team as you navigate a terminal illness or are planning for death.
As an educator, I provide caregiver support and offer workshops about end-of-life, managing home health care, and self-care. I aim to empower you and your family to manage your needs independently.
As a certified hospice and palliative aide, I am also trained and licensed to provide competent bedside care to reduce pain and suffering for my clients. I can assist with repositioning, incontinence care, bathing, linen changes, clothing changes, light massage, and more. I am specialized to work with bedbound clients.
Services
Bedside Care
Certified Hospice and Palliative Aide & Home Health Aide support
Legacy Projects
Meaningful ways to share your stories, heirlooms, traditions, and messages for the people you love.
Memorial & Vigil Planning
Preparing for end-of-life with intention, support, and care
Caregiver Education & Support
Educational workshops, respite care, and at-home support
Emotional Support
Reiki, processing grief, and access to literature exploring illness, grief, death, and dying.
Planning, Advocacy, and Resources
Care coordination with your family or hospice providers.
How does it work?
Initial Consultation
Our first meeting is a free 15-20 minute consultation to see if I am the right doula for you. We can briefly discuss your needs, concerns, questions, and goals. I have a range of services, and they can all be customized to your needs.
Intake Session
In our first session, which will be about 1 hour, we will create a custom plan of care. What can a doula provide for you? What are your needs? What are your concerns? What are your hopes and wishes?
We carefully develop a plan of care by discussing your needs and goals for doula work. Your care plan is customized to you, and can always be adapted as we continue our work. We can add more sessions, or do less, as you see fit.
Sessions
Our sessions can include any of the following:
-
Vigil planning
-
Memorial planning
-
Emotional support and reflective discussion
-
Ceremony and ritual work
-
Care coordination/arranging extra support
-
Advanced care planning
-
Light massage and reiki
-
Companionship and emotional support
-
Grief work
-
Processing and life review projects
-
Discussing and sharing resources
-
Backup personal or bedside care
-
Accompaniment for a healthcare visit
-
Brainstorming legacy projects
-
De-cluttering and downsizing assistance (see: döstädning or "death cleaning")
You can pre-schedule sessions as part of the care plan. You can also book as needed for more flexible support. Sessions can be one-on-one, or with your loved ones/care team. We can work in person or virtually, depending on the services.
Legacy Projects
Legacy projects are special projects that allow you to reflect on or review your life, organize your legacy, and offer meaningful personal gifts to loved ones. I can help you with:
-
Writing and formatting memory books or other keepsake books (family recipe books, art books, poetry/writing)
-
Sorting through, organizing, and gifting heirlooms
-
Creating, and/or digitizing photo albums
-
Recording video messages or audio messages
-
Letter writing
-
Any custom project
Transition to End-of-Life
On-call services, overnight support, visitation coordinating, caregiver support, vigil sitting, and specialized palliative bedside care to ensure comfort and dignity at end-of-life.
Caregiver Support
Private, in-home caregiver education workshops. These can be attended by multiple caregivers.
-
'what to expect' at end-of-life and how to provide support at home
-
grief work education and preparation
-
best practices for personal care for bed bound loved ones: avoiding bed sores, incontinence care, nutrition, and more.
-
self-care and caregiver support workshops
-
inventory and supply management assistance for home care
Caregiver support sessions
-
facilitating difficult or complex family conversations
-
problem solving
-
connecting with resources
-
meal prep and planning
-
personal shopping/errands
-
respite care/backup care
-
memorial planning assistance
Caregiver bereavement support sessions
-
attending and assisting with a memorial or funeral
-
sorting through belongings
- connecting with resources
-
emotional support
How much will it cost?
Total cost depends on the type of services you select, and the care plan we design together. We can create a care plan within your desired budget. For a general idea of full cost, see examples of different care plans here.
Doula Services
Intake - $150 (1 hour)
Session work - $70/hr (1 hr minimum)
Legacy Projects - $200 ~ $500 depending on the scale, to be arranged prior.
End-of-life services (for clients who are nearing death)
On-call Fee (Weekly) - $375
-
On-call weeks are for clients at end-of-life who wish to priority book visits as needed. Visits can be scheduled outside of normal business hours including overnights.
-
Access to full shifts of overnight care
-
I can serve as a point of contact for friends and family, or with care team
-
24 hour support via phone and/or texting
-
Discounts on hourly rate for visits (booked as my schedule permits)
-
$45/hr, minimum 2 hours, 24 hours a day booking (bookable as schedule permits)
-
$300 full (awake) overnight (any 8 hours between 8pm - 8 am)
-
Postmortem care - Donation basis only
When scheduling allows, I offer one hour of postmortem assistance to my clients and their caregivers. This service is offered on a donation basis only, meaning you and your family choose what to pay. Any amount, including nothing, is acceptable. You do not have to elect this service. If you choose for me to assist with postmortem care, I can provide:
-
Washing, dressing, and other bedside care wishes
-
Prearranged ceremony, ritual, prayer, or religious services
-
Bereavement support
-
Waiting with caregivers for hospice or a coroner
-
Making phone calls on your behalf
Caregiver Support
Private, in-home caregiver education workshops -- $275 per 2 hour session, can be attended by multiple caregivers
Caregiver support sessions - $70/hr, min 1 hr
Caregiver bereavement support session - $70/hr, min 1 hr
* Note: My rates reflect the minimum possible cost based on the amount of preparation, travel, and overhead (supplies, taxes, and insurance) of operating my services. If you can pay more, consider subsidizing those who cannot afford services. If you need services but cannot afford my rate, please be in touch. When possible, I offer sessions at a reduced rate and even pro bono hours.
About Me: Assad Assad, PhD, CHPNA
I am a scholar, artist, and certified hospice and palliative aide. I am proud to serve as an end-of-life doula. Death, grief, and mourning have been central to my work and my research for over a decade. I have experienced significant losses and serious illnesses of my own, and know first-hand the value of professional, compassionate care. I know I have many earth angels to thank. It is my calling to return that gift of care to others. Driven by my early life experiences and interests in spirituality, I decided to begin higher education in my early 20s. I focused on tragedy and mourning. I was fascinated by the power of grief, mourning, and lament as art forms, and what they can teach us about life, death, and rebirth. Death is powerful, transformative, and worth taking time with. I learned something important during my travels and studies: The way that society regards death, dying, and the dead reflects the way it values life and the living. I also came to understand that a 'good death' is a human right. Everyone deserves a peaceful and dignified dying process. Unfortunately, many people do not have access to this right. In graduate school I shifted into studying medical humanities, and researched theories of embodiment (what does it mean to be alive, to have a body, to be a self) and the history of the body in medicine and social sciences. I also taught communications and public speaking during this time, and shared wonderful experiences with students from all over the world. After graduating with my PhD from Brown University in 2024, I decided to pursue my calling of working at bedside with patients and clients in hospice. I completed my training as a CNA in May of 2024. After accumulating over 500 hours of bedside care in hospice, I became eligible for certification as a Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing Aide (CHPNA) through the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center. I also have my Home Health Certification. I have worked with patients in private homes as well as long term care facilities. My certificate course to become an end-of-life doula was completed through the University of Vermont. It has been a privilege to companion people as they transition. If you are a potential client, I look forward to speaking with you. For any further questions about me or just to be in touch, feel free to reach out via my contact form below. For inquiries about my academic or artistic work, please see my personal website at assad-assad.com
This is a welcoming space for all who share this earth.
No one is turned away from care based on identity, political affiliation, religious belief, non-belief, or background.
Get In Touch
Testimonials
"It was our pleasure to employ Assad as a CNA for our homecare clients. Hospice care is Assad's passion and ALL of the clients that Assad worked with as well as their caregivers were extremely happy with the care provided. "
AnneMarie McNeil,
Co-Owner Affordable Care Providers, Inc.