How refreshing. The media so often focus on doctor-prescribed death advocates and social outlaws like Kevorkian, that people who do really good, compassionate, and important work with people who are dying rarely receive their due. That is why I am very happy to see a front page SF Chronicle story today on hospice volunteers, particularly those who give their time and love to the “No One Dies Alone” program. From “A Friend Until the End” (pay wall up until Monday):
The No One Dies Alone program started in Eugene, Ore., more than a decade ago, and has slowly spread to other hospitals around the country. The Kaiser Santa Clara program started in March 2010 after Donnelly and Becker heard about a similar program at Stanford Hospital. In each place, the impetus is the same: someone in the hospital — a nurse, a volunteer, a clergyperson — notices a patient on his deathbed, with no friends or family, alone in the chaos of hospital life. “If someone is dying, and they want someone to be with them, to hold their hand, that just seems like a good thing to do,” said Susan Scott, coordinator of the Stanford program, which began three years ago.
The programs are volunteer- based, although at both Kaiser and Stanford, hospital employees make up a good portion of the volunteers. While there is definitely a spiritual element to the programs, they aren’t religion based. Volunteers undergo hours of training before they’re allowed to be with a patient. They’re told what to expect when a person is dying — how his breathing might change, how his hands and feet might grow cold. And they’re taught how to sit quietly and just be a supportive presence. Volunteers aren’t there to just sit in a chair and occupy space — they’re not supposed to knit or send text messages or read to themselves to pass the time, Becker said. They’re focused on the patient.
What a grand thing. People matter until the end–and past the end. Kudos to the volunteers and administrators of No One Dies Alone. And applause to the San Francisco Chronicle for focusing on those who give their love so selflessly to people they don’t even know.
August 27th, 2011 | 12:01 pm
As a medical director and attending physician for 180 patients in long term care, I would love to see programs like this for the frail elderly who die in nursing facilities. It is not uncommon to have the family members tell us they aren’t coming in to see their loved one in those last hours because they “cant handle it.” So sad that anyone should have to die alone. Thankfully I have a staff of kind and truly compassionate Nurses and Nursing assistants who will provide that love and kindness at the last moments of their death.
August 27th, 2011 | 1:13 pm
How can I volunteer for this program?
Wesley J. Smith Reply:
August 27th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
I couldn’t find a central URL or Website. Contact your local hospital and see if they offer it.
Raven Chukwu Reply:
August 28th, 2011 at 1:36 am
@Gale Serin, If you’re interested in providing companionship and assistance to dying patients in your area, you may consider starting with VolunteerMatch, an excellent site which makes it easy for people to connect to good causes.
There were no hits for “No One Dies Alone” (at least in the two states I tried) but using “hospice” as a search term brings up many similar programs.
August 27th, 2011 | 9:31 pm
This is truly beautiful – and such ‘good news’! Thanks for posting it, Wesley.
August 28th, 2011 | 11:27 am
Having spent 3 and a half years in a hospital or long term care caring for my son I have had the opportunity to sit with several dying patients. It is not easy to do but very rewarding. Death is a part of life and it comes in it’s own time. Caring for someone and helping them prepare for death is an act of mercy.Giving someone an injection is cowardly and lazy. We need to encourage more progams like this.
August 28th, 2011 | 11:30 am
Mr. Smith,
It’s all lovely.
It’s sugar and spice and everything nice.
So, why don’t we all kick in a few bucks and pay people a decent wage to do it?
It’s called socialized medicine.
Don’t let the word socialized scare you.
It has nothing to do with Stalin or Hitler.
It is a term used to describe a system for providing medical and hospital care for each and every one at a nominal cost by means of government regulation of health services and subsidies derived from taxation.
The Economist Intelligence Unit did a global study of end of life care.
Out of 40 countries studied, they gave the highest ratings to Australia and the UK.
Both countries received a rating of 7.9 out of 10.
The rating were based on an analysis of access to services, quality of care and public awareness.
The U.S. received a rating of 6.2 out of 10.
http://www.eiu.com/site_info.asp?info_name=qualityofdeath_lienfoundation&page=noads&rf=0
August 28th, 2011 | 7:24 pm
This is what Ruth & Naomi does in Birmingham, AL. No money required. We play our celtic harps for people who are alone. We often work through hospices.
August 31st, 2011 | 4:50 am
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