The University of Vermont Medical Center > Departments & Programs > Palliative Care > Palliative Care Online Resources

No One Dies Alone

A national program adopted by The University of Vermont Medical Center has a goal that is evident in its title: No One Dies Alone. The program offers support and comfort to patients at the end of life - and to their families - and is staffed by hospital volunteers who have gone through an additional training program. Patients are referred to the program by our Palliative Care team.

Patients likely to be referred to the new program are Palliative Care patients who are nearing the end of life and have few or no family members who live locally. The goal of palliative care is to relieve the pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness regardless of the patient's prognosis. Some, but not all, are in hospice care.

Approximately 20 current hospital volunteers of varying ages and backgrounds signed up for the program. Many also have hospice training. Their role is simply to be there with patients when they die. While some minimum contact is permitted - holding a hand, maybe - the nursing staff provides patient care.

Online Resources for Patients

The UVM Medical Center Palliative Medicine Program has selected a number of online resources for patients and family members. These resources are compiled by the Program's providers who are specially trained to support the physical and psychological needs of patients and families facing the complex challenges of life-threatening or chronic illness.

  • Madison-Deane Initiative - A program of Vermont's Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties, has been working to transform end-of-life care since 1997.
  • GetPalliativeCare.org - Developed by the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), this website provides clear, comprehensive palliative care information for people coping with serious, complex illness.
  • PalliativeDoctors.org - Developed by American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), this patient-focused website is intended to reach out directly to patients and their families who might benefit from the specialized medical care AAHPM members provide.

Online Resources for Providers

Here you will find a number of online palliative care and hospice resources for community physicians and health care providers.

  • Center to Advance Palliative Care - CAPC provides health care professionals with the tools, training and technical assistance necessary to start and sustain successful palliative care programs in hospitals and other health care settings.
  • End of Life/Palliative Care Resource Center - EPERC continues to be a resource to End of Life/Palliative healthcare professionals through support from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
  • Madison-Deane Initiative - Madison-Deane Initiative, a program of Vermont's Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties, has been working to transform end-of-life care since 1997.
  • American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) - AAHPM is the professional organization for physicians specializing in hospice and palliative medicine.