Music Therapy for Hospice Patients

Hospice uses music therapy as a holistic, integrative approach with traditional medicine. Music therapy is the use of music by a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) to support the patient and caregivers in the end of life journey. A music therapist assesses the patient and family to determine how music may be used to improve the patient's quality of life as they go through the hospice journey. Live or recorded music is combined with therapeutic techniques to support the physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and social needs of patients of any age.

Music therapy can help:

• Decrease anxiety
• Decrease blood pressure
• Decrease pain symptoms
• Elevate mood
• Improve quality of life
• Slow heart rate

Music therapy techniques include:

• Drumming
• Guided imagery and music
• Improvisation
• Lyric analysis
• Movement to music
• Music-assisted relaxation
• Relaxation and coping strategies
• Song writing
• Therapeutic singing