Actress Nicole Kidman has talked about training as a “death doula”, a little-known service which involves providing non-medical assistance at the end of a person’s life.
Kidman’s decision follows the passing away of her mother, Janelle, in 2024, and is said to have had a profound impact on her.
What is a death doula?
A death doula is an individual trained to be there for someone during their last moments on earth, as well as their family members. They do not serve as doctors or nurses because their function is entirely non-medical.
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The death doula helps prepare an atmosphere for the dying person, gives emotional support, helps with discussing things related to fear or closure, and ensures that the person is never alone during their last moments.
Why interest in death doulas is growing
In recent decades, end-of-life care has become increasingly institutionalised, with many people spending their final days in hospitals or care facilities. While medically necessary, such settings can feel impersonal.
Death doulas have emerged as a response to this shift, focusing on dignity, presence and emotional comfort. Their role is to bridge the gap between clinical care and human connectionsomething families often struggle to provide consistently due to practical constraints.
Interest in this form of care has grown as conversations around mortality, mental health and quality of life have become more open.
A personal turning point
The decision of Kidman has been made based on the experience of grief. Recalling her own mother’s last moments, she observed the feeling of emotional detachment that may sometimes happen despite the presence of other people nearby.
Nicole Kidman is training to become a death doula, inspired by her mother’s passing in September 2024. Instagram/ nicolekidman Daily duties and responsibilities often make it hard for the family members to be close to the person all the time. The very idea of having someone whose primary task would be staying close and doing nothing else appealed to her. She decided not to move away from her idea and explore it deeper.
Beyond care: the psychology of presence
Besides offering physical assistance, the growing interest in the death doula practice stems from the psychology of their work. There have been studies showing that emotional support and discussing their thoughts about life and death helps decrease anxiety of terminally ill people.
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Having a professional helper at the patient’s place makes the relatives feel relieved of guilt and makes sure that their relative is not going through the hardest time of his/her life alone. In many cases, the work of doulas involves thinking about one’s life and personal things.
A broader cultural shift
Kidman’s willingness to discuss the issue helps raise awareness for something that otherwise would have gone unnoticed.
The concept of being a death doula, in essence, demonstrates something very basic yet significant that care extends beyond medical assistance. In many cases, it is when the end draws near that being present becomes all the more important.
