Special Death Cafe Event - Navigating End-of-Life Choices: MAID, VSED, and Doula Support

​DEATH CAFÉ SPECIAL EVENT

You are invited to a special Death Café that differs from our traditional Death Café format. Instead of open conversation, this learning session features presentations from three experts in end-of-life care, followed by Q&A.

PRESENTERS

--- Reina Galanes, PhD Speakers Program Coordinator, End of Life Choices California Reina Galanes, PhD is the Speakers Program Coordinator for End of Life Choices California (EOLCCA). She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and has extensive experience in healthcare insurance administration, higher education, and training services across multiple industries. After retiring in 2021, she joined EOLCCA as a volunteer and accepted the role of Speakers Program Coordinator in May 2024. Reina believes in the power of education and actively practices lifelong learning. She will present on MAID (medical aid in dying) and VSED (voluntarily stopping eating and drinking).

--- Sarah Hill End-of-Life Doula, East Bay Doula for the Dying LLC is a Bay Area end-of-life doula who established her private practice, East Bay Doula for the Dying LLC, in 2019. She is a partner at the Bay Area End of Life Doula Alliance (ELDA). Sarah's clients describe her as approaching her work from an emotionally engaged and intuitively aware place, with equal capacity to provide support with the pragmatic essentials needed at the end of life. She holds an M.S. in Organization Development from the University of San Francisco and brings a deep understanding of systems change and human dynamics to her work. Sarah is an instructor and developer of the University of Vermont's End-of-Life Doula Business Foundations course. She will share how she helps individuals and their constellation of care navigate end-of-life transitions with clarity and compassion.

--- Gabby Jimenez is a hospice and palliative care nurse, end-of-life doula, and death and dying educator. She currently works as a pediatric palliative care nurse with children who have a high acuity of medical challenges. Gabby brings multidisciplinary expertise to her work, combining clinical nursing skills with the compassionate support of doula care. Her experience spans both adult and pediatric end-of-life care, allowing her to address the unique needs of patients and families facing life-limiting conditions. She will share insights on preparation versus reacting, the head-hands-heart approach, and practical guidance on navigating palliative and hospice care options.

Q&A follows the presentations.

*The Death Cafe model was developed by Jon Underwood and Sue Barsky Reid, based on the ideas of Bernard Crettaz.