We at Milne Funeral Services are committed to providing the highest standards in all aspects of caring for you and your loved one at the most difficult of times. Central to all we do is our commitment to guiding and supporting you with the utmost respect and dignity.
Our team of qualified professionals are on hand to provide guidance to you in all aspects of funeral planning. As part of our commitment to a unique person-centred approach to support you and your family we are delighted to welcome Trisha Mc Donald.
Trisha is a highly experienced Nurse, Celebrant & End of Life Doula
What is an End of Life Doula?
An end of life doula is a compassionate, caring & highly trained professional who will meet with the person with a life limiting diagnosis and their next of kin to help them prepare the ceremony for their final journey. They provide emotional and practical support at a time when it is most needed.
How can an End of Life Doula help?
Advocacy – Ensuring that the person’s wishes in relation to their funeral ceremony are heard and respected.
Emotional Support– Meeting the individual and their family (be that in the home, a residential or care home or a hospital setting- with permission of next of kin and the knowledge and consent of the facility if not at home). It is the responsibility of the individual (if able) or the next of kin to gain consent from the facility.
Encouraging and opening conversations about death to reduce fears. Sometimes the person who is at the end of life may not wish to upset their loved ones by talking about their final wishes, or close family members don’t know how to open a conversation with them about their wishes.
A highly experienced professional can gently, and with compassion, guide the individual & next of kin together, through this difficult conversation.
Listening and offering comfort to the individual and those important to them.
Offering reassurance that their wishes will be given to the Funeral Director following the meeting, and carried out when the time comes.
Practical Support – Assisting in advance planning for their (or their loved ones) funeral ceremony, offering choices and giving the person ownership of what they want following their passing.
Liaison with the Funeral Director – they will have the individuals wishes in relation to their ceremony at hand when the time comes.
Trisha’s background
As a Registered Nurse (RGN) & Registered Social Care Manager, Certified Bereavement Counsellor & Entheos Certified Funeral Celebrant, Trisha has spent her entire career caring for those who are ill.
Her professional experience in palliative and end of life care for all ages, requires a deep empathy with patients and their loved ones. She has gained an exceptional insight into the needs and requirements of the very recently bereaved.
She has cared for all ages from stillbirth, newborn to the elderly & sadly those of all ages who have passed away in tragic circumstances.
Her years of experience has equipped her with the highly specialised skills required to support bereaved families at the most difficult of times.
The loss of a loved one whether from a sudden death or prolonged illness comes with deep sadness and trauma, supporting families at this time requires sensitivity, sincerity and great compassion.
She firmly believes that dignified care for the dying is the first step in dignified care for the deceased.
