More people are caring for dying loved ones at home. A New Orleans nonprofit shows them how.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Demand for at- home hospice and end-of-life care has surged since the pandemic.

New Orleans nonprofit Wake offers free training for family caregivers .

Caregivers face rising costs and uncertainty amid Medicaid policy changes.

Death doulas and community programs help fill critical caregiving gaps.

Liz Dunnebacke isn’t dying, but for a recent end-of-life care workshop in New Orleans, she pretended to be.

Dunnebacke lay still atop a folding table that was dressed as a bed, complaining that her legs hurt. Registered nurse Ana Kanellos, rolling up two small white towels, demonstrated how to elevate her ankles to ease the pain.

“ Mom’s legs are always swollen? Raise ’em up,” Kanellos said.

About 20 New Orleans residents listened intently, eager to learn more about