One of the main goals of hospice care is to provide compassionate support that improves your loved one’s quality of life. To do that, we offer a variety of therapies that can help connect with and comfort your loved one on their hospice journey.

At Northern Illinois Hospice, our music therapy program is led by trained professionals who offer meaningful opportunities for patients and their families to engage with music in various ways. They focus on supporting your loved one’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

In this blog, we’re discussing a few benefits of music therapy in hospice.

Music therapy can help your loved one feel more relaxed and comfortable

Music can have a subtle yet profound impact on someone’s life. For those in hospice, music therapy may offer some physical comfort and relief during difficult moments. Listening to music that’s calming and familiar may help the body relax, easing some discomfort and distracting your loved one from the pain they may be experiencing.

Research indicates that music can trigger the release of endorphins—the body’s natural pain relievers—and help regulate physiological functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.

At the same time, music can have a soothing effect on some people, helping them relax their bodies and let go of muscle tension. Since music therapy can be tailored to your loved one’s specific needs, your music therapist can help find ways to provide physical comfort and support during this time.

Music therapy can help with communication and connection between you and your loved one

Music is a great way to communicate and connect with your loved one and other family members. It may help create a comfortable environment where your loved one and other family members can spend time together.

Navigating hospice can be challenging for you and your loved one, so taking time to find ways to reminisce and reconnect can help you both on this hospice journey. When it becomes more challenging to find the right words, music can help bring people together, offering a sense of closeness and understanding during this time. Music is a language unto itself, and can express things beyond the reach of spoken words.

Music therapy is not only beneficial for your loved one, but music therapists can also provide invaluable support to family members and caregivers to help make the most of their time together.

Music therapy provides an outlet for your loved one to express themselves

Hospice can be an emotional journey for some people, and your loved one may find it difficult to express themselves. Music can be a creative outlet for them to communicate their emotions, especially when putting feelings into words feels overwhelming.

Fear, anxiety, frustration, and sadness can be common emotions during this time. Engaging with music may help your loved one decompress and relax their body and mind, providing comfort. In some cases, music can help individuals acknowledge and process their emotions in a gentle, supportive way.

In addition, the music we have loved, as well as music aligned with our cultural or religious traditions can be very validating. In a “musical memory,” it is not just the music we recall, but the time, place, people, circumstances and often emotions. This can bring great comfort.

Your loved one can find the best ways to express their individual feelings, so you can better support and understand how they’re doing.

Northern Illinois Hospice is here to provide compassionate end-of-life care

At Northern Illinois Hospice, we understand that every hospice journey is unique, which is why each care plan is tailored to the person’s goals and wishes. We take that information and create a team of individuals that can provide compassionate end-of-life care for your loved one.

As the first hospice provider in the region, Northern Illinois Hospice has been helping people transition to hospice care for more than 45 years. Our care team provides compassionate end-of-life care to individuals with life-limiting illnesses.

We honor patients and their wishes by providing specialized care that treats the person, not the disease. We offer a wide range of palliative and hospice care to improve your loved one’s quality of life in their final months.

Our experienced team of healthcare professionals, social workers, and volunteers is here to ensure your loved one’s comfort and support.

Get even more support with The Reading Room

Because hospice care offers so many services and benefits to patients, families, and providers, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to navigate. That’s why we created The Reading Room.

The Reading Room is a special place where people can learn and grow in their understanding of hospice and palliative care, anytime and anywhere. It’s like having a whole library in the palm of your hand or with a click of your mouse. With dozens of articles and helpful how-to videos in both English and Spanish, The Reading Room can serve as a helpful guide. 

To learn more about our palliative or hospice services or how we can help you navigate end-of-life care for your loved ones, call us today at (815) 398-0500.