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Description

The inception of hospice in the United Kingdom during the mid 20th century marked a focal point in medical care for dying individuals. Hospice founder Cicely Saunders wanted to maintain a balance of “the sophisticated science of our treatments with the art of our caring, bringing competence alongside compassion”.1 Since then, hospice has grown into a household term for end of-life medical care.

Organized care for terminally ill and dying individuals was further developed in 2001 by Sandra Clarke, CCRN. Clarke founded the No One Dies Alone (NODA) Program after being unable to fulfill a dying patient’s wish of end-of-life companionship.2 The NODA Program prepares volunteers to spend time at bedside with dying patients who are alone for whatever reason. In 2014, Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital (CHWBUH; formerly Beaumont Royal Oak) implemented its chapter of NODA that was later redesigned in 2019.

End-of-life care is a sensitive subject that can provoke feelings of fear and sadness. Thus, individuals wanting to volunteer in this setting must have specific qualities or experiences that drive their desire to spend time with dying hospice patients. The main goal of this project is to learn more about the personal motivating factors and cohort details of NODA volunteers at CHWBUH.

Publication Date

5-2025

Keywords

hospice

Disciplines

Bioethics and Medical Ethics

Comments

The Embark Capstone Colloquium at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester Hills, MI, May, 2025.

End-of-Life Volunteerism: An Analysis of No One Dies Alone (NODA) Program Volunteers

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