Nikki the Death Doula, LLC

07/28/2026

I can't believe I have to type these words but; yes AI can help you with your grief. But will it check on you when it hasn't heard from you for 3 days?

07/28/2026

We're wired to fix things. So when someone we love is dying, it can feel like there's nothing left to do.
But comfort care isn't giving up. It's a different kind of care, one that's just as intentional and just as powerful.
In this week's blog, I'm sharing the 5 comfort measures that hospice and palliative care teams consistently point to as the ones that matter most, including one that has nothing to do with medicine at all.
If you're caring for someone at the end of life, or you just want to understand what real comfort looks like, this one's for you. Link in the comments

07/22/2026

"Man up." "Suck it up." "You need to be strong for everyone else." That's the grief training most blue-collar men get.
In my latest podcast episode, I talk with Adam Daviau, end-of-life doula and grief coach, about what happens when men in the trades lose a parent, a coworker, a marriage, or a career, and the only coping tool they've ever been handed is "keep working."
We get into why traditional grief support doesn't reach these men, what unprocessed grief actually looks like on a job site, and what real support could look like instead.
This one's for the guys who've never had the language for this. And for the people who love them. Link in the comments

07/14/2026

The first week after bringing someone home on hospice can feel like absolute chaos.

There are medications to learn, equipment showing up at the door, new faces coming in and out of your home, and about a thousand moments where you'll wonder, "Is this normal?"

The good news? Most of it is.

I wrote this post to walk you through what that first week actually looks like, so you can spend less time worrying about what comes next and more time being present with the person you love.

07/09/2026

If you'd have told me 5 years ago I'd be on a podcast for pilots talking about grief, I'm sure I'd be deelpy confused. But wow what a great conversation!!

Season 2 Episode 14 Grief is an inevitable part of life, but in aviation, it often remains unspoken. Whether it's the sudden loss of a colleague or the death of a loved one, grief can affect focus, decision-making, performance, and well-being in profound ways. In this episode, you'll learn how grief...

07/07/2026

"Tell me something annoying about them."

Not what you'd expect to say to a grieving friend, but it might mean more than "I'm so sorry for your loss." (And aren't we all sick of this one?)

Grief has a "script", and most of us follow it without thinking. But sometimes the phrases that actually land are the ones that break the pattern.

Check out my blog for more. Link in the comments

07/05/2026

If you happen to read the The Columbus Dispatch today 🤩 special thank you to Center for HumanKindness for this incredible opportunity. 💙

More to come…

06/30/2026

We've decided death ends the moment someone stops breathing, and everything after that gets handed off to professionals while families wait in another room, not understanding what they just witnessed.
It doesn't have to be that way. My latest blog breaks down what actually happens to the body after death; gently, honestly, and without the scary mystery. Because knowing is almost always better than not knowing. Link in the comments

06/13/2026

Grandma's China.
Mom said “I know it’s stupid for this to sit in boxes in the basement but I just can’t. When I’m gone, do whatever you want with it.”
Then she was gone.
I had a half a mind to take it all home and just rage smash it all in the street while deep in my grief. I wanted to shatter those dishes like her death shattered my heart. Instead….I brought it home.
(Read more; link in the comments)