A vigil plan is written for the people who will be in the room when the doula is not. It should be quick to read at 3 a.m. and clear to someone who has never met the client.
Fill it in with the client while they can still say what they want, then revisit it as things change. Leave blank anything the client does not care about — a short plan is easier to follow than a long one.
The template
1. Key people
- Client's preferred name
- Decision-maker / health care representative and phone number
- Hospice or care team contact and after-hours number
- Doula contact and backup
2. The room
- Lighting (natural, low, candles, dark at night)
- Temperature, open window, fresh air
- Objects to keep nearby (photos, blankets, religious items)
- Position of the bed, and what the client should be able to see
3. Sound
- Music, playlists, or silence — and volume
- Readings, prayers, or poems to be read aloud
- Voices the client wants to hear, including recorded messages
- Sounds to avoid (television, phone conversations in the room)
4. Touch and comfort
- Whether and how the client likes to be touched (hand-holding, massage, none)
- Mouth and skin care preferences
- Clothing and bedding preferences
5. Scent and taste
- Scents that comfort (essential oils, flowers, familiar foods) and scents to avoid
- Tastes for mouth swabs, if appropriate (with care team guidance)
6. Rituals and spiritual care
- Faith or tradition, and any clergy or spiritual leader to call
- Rituals wanted before, at, and after death
- Words, blessings, or practices to include
7. Visitors
- Who is welcome, and any visiting hours or limits
- People the client does not want present
- Pets at the bedside
- How visitors should be told about changes
8. At and after death
- Who to call first, and in what order
- Time with the body before the funeral home is called
- Body care wishes (bathing, dressing, home funeral)
- Funeral home and disposition plan
Making the plan useful at the bedside
- Use the client's voice. "I want the window open" is clearer than "fresh air preferred."
- Keep it to two pages. Print it and leave a copy by the bed and one in the kitchen.
- Name who decides. Write down who has the final say if the client can no longer speak.
- Revisit it. Date each version. Wishes often change as death comes closer.
Build the vigil plan inside your practice
Liminal Desk includes a vigil plan builder with these sections. It produces a clean, printable bedside PDF that leaves out empty fields and saves a copy to the client's documents. The free plan supports one active client.