Russ Alexander serves as a chaplain with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), which has given him a perspective on the experience patients and their families have in an acute care setting, before they decide to go onto hospice service. While spending time in the hospital, particularly in intensive care, he noticed that many people are full of a terrible fear. Russ became interested in a paradigm shift in our culture’s thinking about death and dying and became a death doula. At Sunset Companions, he helps people think about death and dying differently, through education and planning, best while people are still healthy.
Annie Wilson is a death doula, and an experimental choreographer and performer based in Philadelphia. She sees her role as serving folks who are: planning for their end of life and funeral, seeking ritual support during active dying, and grieving a loss (death or otherwise). She is an INELDA-trained death doula since 2020.
Home Instead provides non-medical health care to help people age in place safely while maintaining dignity and independence. Their local office has been serving Philadelphia for 20 years and can offer assistance with personal care, appointments, light housekeeping, laundry, shopping, and companionship.