Palliative Care
A collection of stories from individuals who suffered from chronic illnesses and how music helped bring light to their last days
How Can Music Contribute?
Music therapy integrated with palliative care not only benefits the patient’s experience during recovery and their ability to cope, but those around the patient as well. Having experiences with the patient through music sparks a sense of togetherness that implements feelings of warmth and creates found but subtle memories. Such as a dance the patient would do during a particular song. Music also has the ability to bring back fond memories that would take away from the physical or emotional pain a patient is experiencing.
Jim was diagnosed with a form of Pancreatic cancer and did not want to accept his approaching death. He was overall an unhappy person because of the amount of pain he endured during his treatment. However, during music intervention and music therapy Jim, his wife, and family could remember pleasant memories from his youth or during their time as a family.
For the first time during his treatment, Jim was present both physically and spiritually. He remained so until his last day when he and his family listened to his favorite song "(What's so funny about) Peace Love and Understanding" by Elvis Costello until he passed peacefully while eating vanilla ice cream. Although both scenarios could not prevent death, they provided the patient and their loved ones an improved quality of life; one that does not focus on the pain and the amount of time left but instead the memories and how can they make more while they’re still here. However, the benefits music provides towards patients is subjective to their own tastes which present limitations and encourages medical officials to become acquainted with patients.
Colonel Brian K. Unwin, MD, 2016
Although music intervention can not prevent death, it provides an improved quality of life for the patient and their loved ones one that does not focus on the pain and the amount of time left but instead the memories and how can they make more while they’re still here. However, the benefits music provides towards patients is subjective to their own tastes which present limitations and encourages medical officials to become acquainted with patients.
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By listening to a single song patients can work towards that goal, recall memories, unify with their family and friends, forget about the bad things, and peacefully pass present in the moment and without the thought of pain. This form of therapy has actively been used in hospice at institutions such as The Cleveland Clinic, where they support the concept of music therapy and affirm its effectiveness in palliative medicine.
