Our volunteers play a deeply human , supportive role at the end of someone's life.
The responsibilities typically include:
Providing Companionship: Sitting quietly with clients so they are not alone, offering a calm and reassuring presence.
Emotional Comfort: Holding hands, speaking gently, reading or playing music to create a peaceful environment
Respecting dignity and wishes: Honouring cultural, spiritual, or personal preferences during a person's final hours
Relieving families and staff: Supporting situations where whanau cannot be present and easing pressure on healthcare teams
Being present at the moment of death: Staying with the person through their final moments and shortly afterward.
We do not provide any medical care, just a presence to the dying
NODA provides a one-day training course, which covers what happens as we die, including physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of dying. We talk about compassionate presence, communication and self-care.
Following each vigil, we gather as a team to share our experiences and reflect on any insights gained. We are non-denominational and have no religious alignment. Our sole focus is to honour and lean into the unique needs of each individual patient.
We are looking for someone who has compassion, understanding, is non-judgemental, caring and committed to ensuring there is dignity at end of life. Maybe you are drawn to this kind of work having already experienced sitting with a loved one while they were dying.
Or this may just be a calling for you.