Photo: Neil Thomas | Unsplash
Families that care for people with terminal illnesses can become emotionally drained and they must also grieve. This makes tasks such as funeral and legal arrangements more difficult. Professionals known as end-of-life doulas make the impossible easier. They provide companionship and support to those approaching death, and handle post-death procedures, freeing friends and family to navigate their bereavement with more consciousness and peace. They help guide families during the grieving process, especially since grief still causes discomfort in Puerto Rico. In the culture, death is still a taboo subject, and people are not sufficiently educated about bereavement, says Alberto Alers Serra, an expert who has studied death from various perspectives. “Familial structures, religious beliefs and socioeconomic elements have an impact on how we work through grief.” Familial structures can complicate the grieving process when conflicts arise, and relatives feel pressured to stay strong. To raise awareness about grief management and death, end-of-life doulas Alexander Aldarondo and Janice Karana run educational workshops. Part of their mission as is to promote cultural change that humanizes and normalizes death in Puerto Rico.
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