BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
The fear of dying alone is one of the most powerful and agonizing feelings that many harbor, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, this fear sadly becomes a reality. To address this issue, the No One Dies Alone (NODA) initiative trains and supports volunteers who provide companionship to people in their final hours.
The history and evolution of NODA
The NODA concept began in 1986 in Oregon, United States. Sandra Clarke, a nurse, was devastated when she was unable to provide an elderly patient’s last yearning for companionship. This experience inspired Clarke to create the first NODA program in 2001, which gathered volunteers from hospital staff to sit with patients dying alone. Her project immediately gained traction, with Clarke distributing NODA guides around the world, sparking a movement.
Alison Bunce, a Scottish nurse, played a crucial role in bringing NODA to the UK. Bunce was inspired by Clarke’s work and the ‘compassionate communities’ approach championed by Australian sociologist Allan Kellehear. Her quest began with a simple but profound goal: to ensure that no one in her community dies alone. Her aim now includes addressing social isolation and loneliness at all phases of life.
A vision of compassionate communities
“Being present and accompanying someone as they’re dying is such a privilege—it’s a profound, unique moment,” Bunce says. However, she quickly recognized that the need for friendship and care went beyond the end of life. “Over the years, people were speaking to me about social isolation and loneliness, and I realized this was about life as well as death. We’ve gone from helping people at the end of their lives to supporting them at the very beginning.”
Bunce proceeded to Ohio, inspired by Kellehear’s work, to meet with nurses implementing a NODA program. Kellehear’s approach emphasizes that caring for one another is a shared obligation, not only that of healthcare professionals.”I was absolutely inspired,” she says. “I knew I wanted to do something similar in the UK.”
The birth of Compassionate Inverclyde
Bunce founded Compassionate Inverclyde (CI) in 2016 as an Ardgowan Hospice-funded project, where she worked as director of care. Starting with 20 volunteers, CI sought to sit with people who were dying alone, initially in hospices and local hospitals before extending to private homes. Today, CI has grown substantially, with over 100 volunteers available to provide companionship at a moment’s notice.
“It’s been really rewarding: they’re grateful that they’re able to have the opportunity to give something back to the community,” says Bunce, who was named Nurse of the Year 2022 by the Royal College of Nursing. “We’ve seen a real positive impact where families are just not able to be there, or they can’t because it’s too painful, and with nurses too: they desperately want to sit with people but often can’t because of their workload.”
Moving beyond end-of-life care
Bunce recognized the potential of her volunteer network and began creating a variety of community care services. “Our very ethos is about being kind, and how ordinary people can make a difference together,” she explains. CI volunteers now help new mothers, make ‘back home parcels’ for hospital leavers, visit socially isolated neighbors, and run a grieving café.
These activities have allowed CI to expand beyond the initial scope of Ardgowan Hospice’s palliative care focus. Bunce has relaunched CI as a registered charity with fresh Lottery funds, commencing on a quest to encourage compassion and neighborliness on a broader scale. “We need to have courage in our communities,” she urges. “If you think about the people who live in your street, we all have skills and experience. No matter who we are, we have something to offer. I think people are inherently kind: let’s empower people and give them the opportunity to do something good, something that makes a difference.”
A model for communities everywhere
Under Bunce’s leadership, the NODA movement has evolved into a paradigm for how communities should support their members from birth to death. By empowering everyday citizens to contribute, NODA ensures that no one faces life’s most difficult moments alone. The success of CI demonstrates how a small group of determined volunteers can make a significant impact on their neighborhood.
Bunce’s work demonstrates a universal truth: compassion and kindness are effective instruments for building strong, supportive communities. As NODA grows, it serves as a beacon of hope and humanity, reminding us all of our collective responsibility to care for one another.
