Notes on Music Therapy in Hospice Care
Music therapy is customized to patient needs and objectives and uses patient preferred music.
Music therapy can be ongoing, throughout the hospice experience. Music therapists typically work with clients weekly or bi-weekly from admittance to end of life.
Music therapy provides customized service to patients of all ages, cultural backgrounds, religious traditions and across all levels of functioning in the domain areas: physical, social, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and communication. Children, teens, adults, elders, and those with developmental disabilities often have different needs and levels of functioning. Music therapy allows for variation, meeting the client where he or she is.
A music therapist will assess the patient’s current functioning across all domain levels and determine treatment goals and objectives consistent with those of the patient’s treatment team. Goals and objectives are continuously measured, reviewed and adjusted to meet the needs of the patient.
A music therapist, as part of the treatment team, can provide support for ADLs or distraction from invasive or painful procedures.
Music therapy can provide bereavement support to the family, at a memorial service and/or after the death, especially for children.
Music therapy provides improved quality of life, may increase length of stay, and may reduce agitation/pain/anxiety, conserving energy for family visits. Music therapy research has shown that music may reduce costs by reducing the amount of pain medications needed.
Music therapy can help clients cope with pain, depression, anxiety, and may, through the therapeutic relationship between therapist and patient, allow for exploration of such themes as forgiveness and life review.
Music assisted relaxation techniques, including such techniques as progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery may bring about the relaxation response and induce sleep.
The music therapist provides live music on guitar, portable keyboard, autoharp, Reverie harp, drums, xylophone, and hand held percussion for receptive or active music making. In addition, pre-recorded music, improvisation, and songwriting are all used in music therapy with this population.
The music therapist and the patient/family choose music used in the sessions. This may include pop songs from the patient’s background, hymns of praise, show tunes, classical pieces, chants, hymns of reassurance, country, jazz, children’s music, folk songs, or spirituals, to name just a few.
UpBeat Music Therapy Services LLCAnne Vitort, MT-BC