The Importance of Programs Such as No One Dies Alone
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Chaplain Sandra Weinberg discusses the No One Dies Alone (NODA) volunteer program which allows people to be a compassionate presence at the hospital bedside of dying patients who would otherwise die alone.
Featured Speaker:
Sandra Weinberg, MDiv
Reverend Sandra Weinberg oversees the chaplaincy department, including a staff of five chaplains and all aspects of spiritual care at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Transcription:
The Importance of Programs Such as No One Dies Alone
Melanie Cole (Host): The No One Dies Alone volunteer program at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital allows people to be a compassionate presence at the hospital bedside of dying patients who would otherwise die alone.
Welcome to It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. I'm Melanie Cole. Joining me today is Chaplain Sandra Weinberg. She's the supervisor in the chaplaincy department at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, where she oversees a staff of five chaplains and all aspects of spiritual care at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Sandy, I'm so glad to have you with us. What a great topic and what an interesting job that you have. Can you please tell us a little bit about the No One Dies Alone program? What does that mean? How did it start?
Sandra Weinberg: Oh, thank you so much for asking Melanie, I am so proud and delighted that Henry Mayo will be offering the No One Dies Alone program here. It's a program that was founded in 2009 by a nurse in Oregon. She was tending to a patient who was near death. Apparently he grabbed her hand and asked her not to leave, and she told him, I'll be right back. I just need to check another patient. And when she came back, he had expired. He had died. And so this nurse shares a story of being overcome with grief.
And what's lovely is that when we work through and process our grief, we discover many gifts and one of the gifts that came from this nurse's grief was a No One Dies Alone program. Basically, it allows, people who are at risk of dying alone because they don't have any visitors or family nearby or present or in their life at all, to have a volunteer sit with. in those final hours of their life and provide comfort and compassion and support.
Melanie Cole (Host): What a lovely program and what a great story. Sometimes tragedy turns to activism and as somebody, Sandy that has been with five people while they've died. I can feel how important a program like this is. So is this a nationwide program? Is this a local program? I mean, is it, generally all around or what is that?
Sandra Weinberg: No One Dies Alone is a nationwide end of life support program. And many hospitals, even in Los Angeles, offer the program. And that's why I'm so thankful that Henry Mayo will be among some of the other facilities, to provide NODA is what we call it.
Melanie Cole (Host): Because Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital is awesome. I can attest to that. Now, is this something that's part of hospice care? How do you guys know? How do you be alerted?
Sandra Weinberg: When death is eminent, for a patient, either, let's say in the ER if they've had a trauma and the staff, the nursing and doctors and the medical staff realize that this person is going to die. A note of volunteer would be contacted from the nursing staff through the chaplaincy department. There are times when patients are, for example, in the ICU and, no other treatment is going to help to sustain their life. Treatment would be considered futile at that point. Then a patient would, possibly go on comfort care. And comfort care is allowing somebody to die with dignity and peace, here in the hospital.
In those two scenarios, that's when no to volunteers would be called in and asked if they could come and sit at the bedside. The volunteers are asked to commit to about two hours per shift. So for example, someone might say, well, I'm available from three to 5:00 PM so they'll come in. And if we have another volunteer who can come in from five to seven, then that person will come in. Of course, death comes when it will. It's not always Monday through Friday, eight to five. So if we have volunteers who are willing to serve for a couple of hours, by providing a loving presence to a dying person in the middle of the night, that would be well received as well.
Melanie Cole (Host): Wow. People that do that truly, truly what we call a mitzvah. you're doing something to serve someone else and for no other reason. It's just lovely. I'm choked up. So tell us a little bit more about the volunteer situation. How does someone get involved? Is there training involved? Do they have to learn really what death is like, what to expect? You know, as someone who's seen it, I know it's sometimes it's very, very quiet and sometimes there's odd little things that happen. Is there training involved?
Sandra Weinberg: Absolutely. Henry Mayo will be providing a training orientation for all No One Dies Alone volunteers. Naturally, the name itself indicates what? The program is, it's somebody who's going to sit with somebody who's dying. And I do believe that there are people who are just naturally gifted and called to serve in this particular aspect. However, training will be provided so that people can, be prepared. We don't want anyone to be caught off guard with some things that they might see. noises they might hear. The participants that are going to help train the volunteers are part of the palliative care team here at Henry Mayo.
These are the team of medical personnel that are often, part of end of life journeys for patients. And so, the nurses, a social worker, a chaplain, they will be providing the training to the volunteers so that we can paint a picture of what it would be like and what the expectation is for them. We don't want anyone to feel like they need to necessarily fix anything or even really do anything. What we're looking for are people who understand the value of simply being present. Now, NODA is not a faith based program. It is compassion driven. Compassion doesn't belong to any one particular religion.
So , people who are willing to be vessels of compassion is what we're looking for. That will look different depending on the circumstance. For example, if we happen to know the religion of a particular patient, then there will be resources available to the volunteer to use as a source of comfort. So that might be sacred writings, that might be some poetry that's designed for their particular faith tradition or music. In fact, there are multiple resources that are going to be available for the volunteers to use, while they're at the bedside.
Melanie Cole (Host): That's excellent because like you said, it's a certain calling, it's a certain gift for people to know that you might feel helpless. You're not there to make things right, or to change things or to fix things, but it's just to sit and hold a hand. Right. With COVID has any of that changed? are we still allowed to hold hands, sit by the bedside, all of that sort of thing?
Sandra Weinberg: Well always keeping safety in mind, we do encourage handholding. We encourage, just gentle words of support at the bedside. The chaplains here at Henry Mayo, we will visit patients who are under isolation, including COVID because we have been trained by the medical professionals on how to gown up and mask up, and we have our protective equipment. And even though we might be holding someone's hand while wearing a glove, that's still human to human contact. That's so sacred and so important, and a reminder to someone in their most vulnerable hour that they are not alone.
Melanie Cole (Host): Absolutely lovely. Just what an amazing program. As we wrap up, Sandy, why programs such as NODA are so important, what you would like the community to know about the NODA program at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, how to get involved. Really just kind of a summary. What's expected and why it is so important that no one dies alone?
Sandra Weinberg: What I would want the community at large to know is that there are so many people here within our community that are at risk of dying alone. You have elderly people who live late in life into their nineties. Often they outlive all of their loved ones. They have no family members who can be at their bedside. We also have a large homeless population. Many of those are homeless veterans and they're estranged from loved ones or just, we have no contact for a family member when someone finds themselves dying in a hospital here. And of course there are victims of unexpected health crises and traumas that are far from home.
We want people to understand that the No One Dies Alone program isn't just for people who don't have family, but it's also for patients whose families cannot get to the bedside in time. We also want people to know that the No One Dies Alone volunteer is available to provide respite to families. For example, it's very common for families to sit at a patient's bedside for hours and hours while they're on comfort care and somebody is dying. But then they need a break, so to speak. They need to get some fresh air or sleep or rest or food, and so the No One Dies Alone program will allow a volunteer to come in so a family member can leave the bedside for a little while in peace. Knowing that if their loved one should die in their absence, they still would not be alone.
Melanie Cole (Host): What an amazing program. Sandy, thank you so much for joining us and telling us about this NODA program at Henry Mayo New Hall Hospital. For more information or to volunteer for the No One Dies Alone program, please call Sandra Weinberg. That's Chaplain Sandra Weinberg at 661-200-1126. You can also visit our website at henrymayo.com for more information. That concludes this episode of It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo New Hall Hospital. You can always visit the free health information library at library.henrymayo.com. I'm Melanie Cole.
The Importance of Programs Such as No One Dies Alone
Melanie Cole (Host): The No One Dies Alone volunteer program at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital allows people to be a compassionate presence at the hospital bedside of dying patients who would otherwise die alone.
Welcome to It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. I'm Melanie Cole. Joining me today is Chaplain Sandra Weinberg. She's the supervisor in the chaplaincy department at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, where she oversees a staff of five chaplains and all aspects of spiritual care at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Sandy, I'm so glad to have you with us. What a great topic and what an interesting job that you have. Can you please tell us a little bit about the No One Dies Alone program? What does that mean? How did it start?
Sandra Weinberg: Oh, thank you so much for asking Melanie, I am so proud and delighted that Henry Mayo will be offering the No One Dies Alone program here. It's a program that was founded in 2009 by a nurse in Oregon. She was tending to a patient who was near death. Apparently he grabbed her hand and asked her not to leave, and she told him, I'll be right back. I just need to check another patient. And when she came back, he had expired. He had died. And so this nurse shares a story of being overcome with grief.
And what's lovely is that when we work through and process our grief, we discover many gifts and one of the gifts that came from this nurse's grief was a No One Dies Alone program. Basically, it allows, people who are at risk of dying alone because they don't have any visitors or family nearby or present or in their life at all, to have a volunteer sit with. in those final hours of their life and provide comfort and compassion and support.
Melanie Cole (Host): What a lovely program and what a great story. Sometimes tragedy turns to activism and as somebody, Sandy that has been with five people while they've died. I can feel how important a program like this is. So is this a nationwide program? Is this a local program? I mean, is it, generally all around or what is that?
Sandra Weinberg: No One Dies Alone is a nationwide end of life support program. And many hospitals, even in Los Angeles, offer the program. And that's why I'm so thankful that Henry Mayo will be among some of the other facilities, to provide NODA is what we call it.
Melanie Cole (Host): Because Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital is awesome. I can attest to that. Now, is this something that's part of hospice care? How do you guys know? How do you be alerted?
Sandra Weinberg: When death is eminent, for a patient, either, let's say in the ER if they've had a trauma and the staff, the nursing and doctors and the medical staff realize that this person is going to die. A note of volunteer would be contacted from the nursing staff through the chaplaincy department. There are times when patients are, for example, in the ICU and, no other treatment is going to help to sustain their life. Treatment would be considered futile at that point. Then a patient would, possibly go on comfort care. And comfort care is allowing somebody to die with dignity and peace, here in the hospital.
In those two scenarios, that's when no to volunteers would be called in and asked if they could come and sit at the bedside. The volunteers are asked to commit to about two hours per shift. So for example, someone might say, well, I'm available from three to 5:00 PM so they'll come in. And if we have another volunteer who can come in from five to seven, then that person will come in. Of course, death comes when it will. It's not always Monday through Friday, eight to five. So if we have volunteers who are willing to serve for a couple of hours, by providing a loving presence to a dying person in the middle of the night, that would be well received as well.
Melanie Cole (Host): Wow. People that do that truly, truly what we call a mitzvah. you're doing something to serve someone else and for no other reason. It's just lovely. I'm choked up. So tell us a little bit more about the volunteer situation. How does someone get involved? Is there training involved? Do they have to learn really what death is like, what to expect? You know, as someone who's seen it, I know it's sometimes it's very, very quiet and sometimes there's odd little things that happen. Is there training involved?
Sandra Weinberg: Absolutely. Henry Mayo will be providing a training orientation for all No One Dies Alone volunteers. Naturally, the name itself indicates what? The program is, it's somebody who's going to sit with somebody who's dying. And I do believe that there are people who are just naturally gifted and called to serve in this particular aspect. However, training will be provided so that people can, be prepared. We don't want anyone to be caught off guard with some things that they might see. noises they might hear. The participants that are going to help train the volunteers are part of the palliative care team here at Henry Mayo.
These are the team of medical personnel that are often, part of end of life journeys for patients. And so, the nurses, a social worker, a chaplain, they will be providing the training to the volunteers so that we can paint a picture of what it would be like and what the expectation is for them. We don't want anyone to feel like they need to necessarily fix anything or even really do anything. What we're looking for are people who understand the value of simply being present. Now, NODA is not a faith based program. It is compassion driven. Compassion doesn't belong to any one particular religion.
So , people who are willing to be vessels of compassion is what we're looking for. That will look different depending on the circumstance. For example, if we happen to know the religion of a particular patient, then there will be resources available to the volunteer to use as a source of comfort. So that might be sacred writings, that might be some poetry that's designed for their particular faith tradition or music. In fact, there are multiple resources that are going to be available for the volunteers to use, while they're at the bedside.
Melanie Cole (Host): That's excellent because like you said, it's a certain calling, it's a certain gift for people to know that you might feel helpless. You're not there to make things right, or to change things or to fix things, but it's just to sit and hold a hand. Right. With COVID has any of that changed? are we still allowed to hold hands, sit by the bedside, all of that sort of thing?
Sandra Weinberg: Well always keeping safety in mind, we do encourage handholding. We encourage, just gentle words of support at the bedside. The chaplains here at Henry Mayo, we will visit patients who are under isolation, including COVID because we have been trained by the medical professionals on how to gown up and mask up, and we have our protective equipment. And even though we might be holding someone's hand while wearing a glove, that's still human to human contact. That's so sacred and so important, and a reminder to someone in their most vulnerable hour that they are not alone.
Melanie Cole (Host): Absolutely lovely. Just what an amazing program. As we wrap up, Sandy, why programs such as NODA are so important, what you would like the community to know about the NODA program at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, how to get involved. Really just kind of a summary. What's expected and why it is so important that no one dies alone?
Sandra Weinberg: What I would want the community at large to know is that there are so many people here within our community that are at risk of dying alone. You have elderly people who live late in life into their nineties. Often they outlive all of their loved ones. They have no family members who can be at their bedside. We also have a large homeless population. Many of those are homeless veterans and they're estranged from loved ones or just, we have no contact for a family member when someone finds themselves dying in a hospital here. And of course there are victims of unexpected health crises and traumas that are far from home.
We want people to understand that the No One Dies Alone program isn't just for people who don't have family, but it's also for patients whose families cannot get to the bedside in time. We also want people to know that the No One Dies Alone volunteer is available to provide respite to families. For example, it's very common for families to sit at a patient's bedside for hours and hours while they're on comfort care and somebody is dying. But then they need a break, so to speak. They need to get some fresh air or sleep or rest or food, and so the No One Dies Alone program will allow a volunteer to come in so a family member can leave the bedside for a little while in peace. Knowing that if their loved one should die in their absence, they still would not be alone.
Melanie Cole (Host): What an amazing program. Sandy, thank you so much for joining us and telling us about this NODA program at Henry Mayo New Hall Hospital. For more information or to volunteer for the No One Dies Alone program, please call Sandra Weinberg. That's Chaplain Sandra Weinberg at 661-200-1126. You can also visit our website at henrymayo.com for more information. That concludes this episode of It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo New Hall Hospital. You can always visit the free health information library at library.henrymayo.com. I'm Melanie Cole.