No Veteran Dies Alone (NVDA), inspired by the program “No One Dies Alone,” is designed to honor and meet the needs of those Veterans who, for whatever reason, find themselves alone at the end of their life. NVDA acknowledges the importance of human presence at the end of life as a component of contributing to a “good death.” Through NVDA, volunteers are educated and supported to provide dying Veterans with presence, companionship, and reassurance at Veterans Affairs facilities.
Resources to Help With Integrating a No Veteran Dies Alone Program
No Veteran Dies Alone Volunteer Trainer Resource Manual
This manual provides guidance to Veterans Affairs facilities striving to incorporate volunteers into the care for dying Veterans. The manual includes general guidance for developing and sustaining a volunteer program with the overall goal of enhancing end-of-life care for Veterans and their families.
Introductory Videos to Provide Guidance for Your No Veteran Dies Alone Program
The following videos, created in partnership with the PsychArmor Institute and the Department of Veteran Affairs, are based on Unit 1, “Introduction to Hospice and Palliative Care”, and Unit 2, “Concepts of Death, Dying, and Grief”, of Section 2 of the NVDA Volunteer Trainer Resource Manual.
No Veteran Dies Alone Training Video 1: Introduction to Hospice and Palliative Care
No Veteran Dies Alone Training Video 2: Concepts of Death, Dying, and Grief
Get Involved with NVDA
NVDA is operated by individual VA centers. Please note, the NVDA program may have different names and vary in practice at different VA facilities. To get involved with NVDA, reach out to your nearest VA Medical Center. Find your nearest VA location.
If there is not currently a need for NVDA volunteers within your VA, we encourage you to consider volunteering with a WHV hospice partner. A complete list of our WHV-affiliated hospices is available via the Partner Directory.
