What does an end-of-life consultant actually do?

An end-of-life consultant helps patients and families understand medical situations, navigate complex healthcare systems, and make informed decisions during serious illness or as death approaches. At Informed Endings, that means translating clinical information into plain language, identifying gaps in care, advocating directly with your medical team, and ensuring your values and priorities shape the decisions made.

What is the difference between a death doula and what Veronica Phipps does?

A traditional end-of-life or death doula focuses on emotional and spiritual comfort. Veronica's practice builds on that foundation by adding clinical expertise. As a Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner and Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse (ACHPN) with nearly a decade of palliative care experience, she can monitor symptoms, interpret medical information, identify care gaps, and advocate directly with your care team as a clinical peer.

Do you accept insurance?

Informed Endings does not participate in or bill insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid. This allows Veronica to remain a neutral, third-party liaison dedicated solely to your interests, without institutional constraints. All services are invoiced through a secure digital portal.

When is the right time to seek end-of-life support?

Support is most effective when you don't wait for a crisis, but it's valuable at any stage — after a new diagnosis, when treatment goals change, during a confusing hospitalization, or as you or a loved one approaches end of life. You deserve clarity and support from the start, not just when things become unmanageable.

Do you offer virtual consultations?

Yes. While Veronica provides in-person support throughout the New York area, she works with clients nationwide through video and phone consultations. Distance does not limit her ability to help you understand test results, evaluate care options, or prepare for important medical conversations.

Is this the same as hospice care?

No. Hospice is a Medicare-funded program delivered by a clinical team under a physician's hospice order. Informed Endings is an independent consulting service that can help you understand whether hospice is the right option, how to enroll, what to expect, and how to advocate for your loved one's comfort within the hospice system. Veronica works alongside your hospice team, not in place of it.

Navigating illness or end of life can be overwhelming.
 
Below are some trusted resources all patients and their loved ones should have access to.

Resources

Tools for documenting your wishes and making sure your voice is heard, even when you can't speak for yourself.

Healthcare Proxy / Medical Power of Attorney Designates the person who will make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to. Forms vary by state; hospitals will often ask you to complete a new one during admission.

Free NY State form: health.ny.gov/publications/1430.pdf

Living Will A written record of your medical wishes — what treatments you would or would not want — to guide your loved ones and care team before a crisis occurs.

Free option for individuals: freewill.com

Five Wishes An alternative to a standard living will that addresses the whole person: medical, emotional, and spiritual preferences in plain language. fivewishes.org

MOLST / POLST A medical order (not just a document) that travels with you across care settings and tells emergency responders and providers exactly what interventions you do or do not want. Completed with a healthcare provider. Learn more: health.ny.gov (search "MOLST")

Planning Ahead

Close-up of an open blank notebook with a wooden pen on top, surrounded by potted succulents on a wooden desk, with a lamp and plant in the background.

Having the Conversation

The Conversation Project Practical guides and starter kits for talking with loved ones about end-of-life wishes, healthcare proxies, and what matters most. theconversationproject.org

StoryCorps A free app and national archive for recording and preserving personal histories and conversations with the people you love, in partnership with the Library of Congress. storycorps.org

Resources to help you start (and continue) the conversations that matter.

Resources to connect you with legal professionals and documents for your time in need.

Legal & Financial Support

Planning and Estates Law Project (PELP) Free legal support for end-of-life and estate planning for New York City residents, offered through the City Bar Justice Center. citybarjusticecenter.org/projects/planning-and-estates-law-project/

FreeWill A free online tool for creating a legally valid will, healthcare directive, or power of attorney. freewill.com

Finding Professional Support

Most people don't realize independent patient advocates exist until they're already deep in a crisis, whether that is a confusing diagnosis, a hospitalization moving too fast, a loved one in hospice, or the feeling that no one is explaining what's actually happening. An independent advocate has no institutional obligations, working solely for you, with the time and clinical focus that hospitals and insurance companies cannot provide.

If you are navigating a serious illness, whether it be your own or someone you love, having an advocate in your corner can mean the difference between feeling lost in the system and feeling genuinely supported through it.

What to look for: Advocacy is not yet a licensed profession in most states, so credentials and experience matter. Look for clinical background relevant to your situation, such as palliative care, oncology, elder care, and transparency about fees. An independent advocate should have no financial relationship with any hospital or insurer.

Close-up of two hands reaching out and touching each other, with a blurred background.

Greater National Advocates (GNA) A national directory of professional patient advocates. Search by location, specialty, and type of support needed. greaternationaladvocates.org

National Association of Healthcare Advocacy (NAHAC) The professional membership organization for patient advocates. Their Find an Advocate directory lists certified members nationwide. nahac.com

Recommend Reading

For Those Facing an Illness

The Best Care Possible by Ira Brock
- This book helps define what a “good death” looks like and analyzes the medical system failure to align better to meet patients where they are and with dignity and peace at end of life
Life After Diagnosis by Steven Pantilat
- A guide to navigating care following a terminal illness, with questions and ideas to consider along the way

*Both of these are written by Palliative Care trained physicians who approach illness and human-centered care in an incredibly thoughtful way

For Those Grieving a Loss

Grief is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter
- A short, almost poetic novel about navigating loss
Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
- A beautifully complex navigation to sudden loss
Blue Nights by Joan Didion
- A second memoir further navigating aging and loss

A hand holding a black cup with metal rim, placed on a dark wooden table next to an open book, dried flowers are also on the table.

Ram Dass

“It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.”

A narrow dirt trail winds through a dense green forest with tall trees and lush undergrowth.

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