Natalie Hernandez, Administrator and Gina Carnahan, Social Worker for our Johnson City office during a recent memorial for grieving families.

At the age of 2, Gina Carnahan began asking her mother to read the obituaries from the newspaper so that she could pray for the people being memorialized. While she intended to major in forensic science in college, she ended up changing her focus to social work, following in her mother’s footsteps. During her studies, she saw her grandfather, then grandmother and finally father experience hospice care. The support was meaningful and ignited something in her. 

Gina heard about death doulas during the pandemic and felt moved to shift into medical social work. She describes the feeling as a “God thing” like it was meant to be. She was certified as a death doula through International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA), holds her Licensed Baccalaureate Social Work (LBSW) degree and will be starting classes in May to earn her Master of Social Work (MSW). Gina started working with Caris Healthcare in Johnson City, TN in October 2023. While the certification as a death doula was not required for her work at Caris Healthcare, it has expanded the way she sees the support she provides. 

We sat down with Gina to learn more about what it means to be a death doula and learn how she supports patients and families. 

What does a death doula provide? 

We help patients prepare emotionally and psychologically for end-of-life, provide one-on-one support and assistance with families during the death phase, facilitate rituals to help the patient and family feel and cope with these strong emotions, and implement legacy projects.  

What are some examples of rituals you see in end-of-life?  

We help prepare the death space once we understand what the patient and family would like. This could mean bringing in special blankets with sentimental value, scented candles, specific music, or planning a celebration to bring the family together. This looks different for every patient based on their cultural background and personal preferences. 

What do death doulas do to make this all less scary? 

We give patients the opportunity to ask questions. They can talk with us and share fears that they may not feel comfortable sharing with their family. We ensure their emotional needs are met and their space is prepared to their liking. We promise they will not be alone in this end-of-life journey. In an ideal situation, we will have had ample time to get to know the patient, their worries and needs, so that when the time comes, they feel safe with us and comforted knowing their family will have us by their side. 

What advice do you have for patients who have received a terminal diagnosis? 

The more you talk about your worries and goals, the less scary it becomes. Death is a natural part of life. It is one of the things we all have in common. The sooner you are able to connect with support, the better. Most people do not realize that you can always cancel hospice support to try an experimental treatment, but most families say they wish that would have asked for support sooner. Finally, there are no silly questions. The more open and curious you are, the more you will get out of this supportive service.  

We are so thankful to our social workers like Gina who are providing patients and their families with the support they deserve everyday. Thank you, Gina.