Music with the dying patient?

suebird3 · Jul 10, 2006

Hi! Why not try the Research Nurses Forum at: https://allnurses.com/forums/f76/ ? There is a Sticky Post at the top of the page that has other links to help you. Also try the Graduate Nursing Forum at: https://allnurses.com/forums/f223/

Suebird :)

EmptytheBoat · Jul 10, 2006

Well, good Luck! I think Music Therapy would be beneficial to a dying patient

in a nursing home, but realisitically that ain't going to happen! You may want to rechoose your research topic! Best wishes.

P.S. If you continue your research, find out how many hospice agencies

are willing to pay for music therapy for their patients in a nursing home!

indigo girl · Jul 10, 2006

I have worked in many nursing homes where it is part of the protocol to have a CD player in the dying person's room. Some families will choose music the patient loved. Often, the activities director will have soothing music, New Age or classical playing which the staff will maintain. In LTC, patients are frequently well known and loved by the staff members, in my experience. They really want to help make the passage from life into death, as soothing and comforting as possible for both the resident and the family. One resident I worked with in Maine, had a family member who was classically trained, and a concert was held in her room while she was dying. Her family and friends attended. It was a beautiful, and loving experience for all.

romie · Jul 11, 2006

Music therapy in hospice care is an extremely valuable experience. As someone who has studied music therapy at the graduate level, I am a huge advocate for the field, so remember-- in order to call it music therapy, it must be performed by a credentialled board certified music therapist with a degree in music therapy. Live music is generally preferable to recorded music, with client prefered music being the best modality. Song writing can be done with the entire family putting together lyrics and melody in tribute to the dying person and can be a profound catharsis for everyone involved. Fortunately, there are some hospice providers out there that do pay for music therapy.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jul 11, 2006

Let me tell you about a resident I had who was on hospice for failure to thrive and chronic pain (which was probably from an undiagnosed recurrence of stomach cancer). She fought death for four solid days, refusing to let go, and then a hospice volunteer came in to play the harp for her. It wasn't five minutes after the woman started playing that the resident relaxed and passed on, with a peaceful smile on her face. I like to think that she went to Heaven on the wings of the music the angels play.

ternerzero · Jul 11, 2006

i attached a couple links for you....

my dad died suddenly, but if i had a chance to play music for him or someone else i would either choose mozart or in the case of my father, perhaps music that tells a story, like,

peter and the wolf is a composition by sergei prokofiev. the music tells the story.

peter and the wolf is scored for flute, oboe, clarinet (in a), bassoon, 3 horns, trumpet, trombone, timpani, triangle, tambourine, cymbals, castanets, snare drum, bass drum and strings. each character in the story has a particular instrument and a musical theme, or leitmotif:

bird - flute
duck - oboe
cat - clarinet
grandfather - bassoon
wolf - 3 french horns
hunters (gunshots) - timpani and bass drum (the hunters' theme is actually introduced by the woodwinds)
peter - string instruments

my dad use to play it for me when i was a child.

perhaps a family member of the patient would be able to select a particular type of music that would be soothing.

if i was going to research it i would contact a college music teacher, orchastra conductor, or go to a retirement home and talk to older people (the older generation lived in a different era - different music) to find out what type of music they find uplifting or soothing.

try this:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/mm00623

web search:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&hs=qtt&rls=dela,dela:2006-02,dela:en&sa=x&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=complementary+alternative+medicine+music+soothe+relax&spell=1

you have a very interesting idea, music can set the a mood. this is a good idea.

BeExcellent · Jul 12, 2006

My, my very interesting link since i use music frequently with my pts. Some are in nursing homes . some are not. I will be dating myself here but I do believe Richard Albert aka Ram Dass wrote about music and dying. I agree with the writer that said it must be music the patient find helpful, hopeful and soothing. If not you can fiind yourself with someone very restless. When u say "dying" do u mean actively dying or that slow, progressive dance toward dying? Just wondering.

romie · Jul 12, 2006

You should check out the American Music Therapy Association. They might be able to direct you to hospice specific music therapy groups or at least provide some references. Deforia Lane is a music therapist who authored a book entitled "Music as Medicine". She wrote some excellent things about here experiences as a music therapist.

aimeee, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2006

http://www.chaliceofrepose.org/

I think you will find the link above of interest.

I am very interested in this subject as well and I hope we get to the point where we can have a true music therapy program someday. Good luck with your research!

req_read · Jul 12, 2006

Here in the desert we have a harp player who works part time for a couple of local hospices. I have been told (by a hospice nurse) that the effect of her music is phenomenal; i.e. helps people cross. She goes into homes and plays live. I have not seen it myself… but that’s what I am told.

Her URL is: http://www.donese.com/

Her website contains examples of her work.

indigo girl · Jul 12, 2006

Here in the desert we have a harp player who works part time for a couple of local hospices. I have been told (by a hospice nurse) that the effect of her music is phenomenal; i.e. helps people cross. She goes into homes and plays live. I have not seen it myself... but that's what I am told.
Her URL is: http://www.donese.com/
Her website contains examples of her work.

What a beautiful idea. It is so personal and caring. The dying always seem to be aware of what is going on around them. I am sure that they must feel very loved that someone would do this for them.

My personal take on this, is that music is an energy, and that everything is a form of an energy including the human body.

Dying is leaving a place of denser, mostly slower moving energy to go to a more sublime place of higher energy. The music helps to form a bridge for the etheric energy of that person to cross over on more easily.