Music therapy is a growing service provided in end-of-life care. Studies show a significant difference for quality of life for patients receiving music therapy. This group explores the practical aspects of implementing music therapy programs.
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I enjoy candles myself and have become interested in aroma therapy. Has there been any research done or has anyone gained some experience in this regard?
Read more…The harp is an instrument that is welcomed anywhere because of its calming nature. It is rare that I play anywhere that I don't put someone to sleep within 10 minutes of starting to play. For the hospice volunteer, having a harp to bring with you when you go to see a patient allows you to bring your presence to the dying person first with healing sound, then with words, if they are deemed necessary. I began playing the harp 7 years ago after being inspired by a pair of harpists who came to the…
Read more…Because music has many favorable effects on our lives, I incorporate it during my hospice volunteering. And I am not a musician. For those patients who can communicate their preferences, I provide music for them. Sometimes we listen to the radio and comment on the artists or the lyrics. Other times, we listen to CD’s. When patients are not able to communicate verbally with me, I refer to their information forms for clues as to what they might like. For example, I might play an old-time gospel…
Read more…Surviving Hospice: A Chaplain's Journey into the Big Business of Dying Plus: How To Find a Trustworthy Hospice
This narrative is an insider’s look into the hijacking of hospice by private equity and professional investors and the subsequent harm to patients, their families, and to the interdisciplinary clinical teams. It was released by a NYC publisher on October 31, 2023. For sale on Amazon.
The author, a hospice chaplain, tells end-of-life stories of her patients who were harmed by financially-motivated policies. This is a book for anyone who is embarking on making a choice about a hospice for their loved one, working chaplains, those in training, and those interested in what dying is like with a hospice who places patients as their primary stakeholders.
Maryclaire's experience working for an owner who sold to a private equity firm helped her to realize that the reputation and viability of hospice is in jeopardy. Her goal is to alert all who love hospice to rid it of professional investors.
— Stacy Juba, author, editor, and award-winning health journalist
"Powerful, beautifully written, and eye-opening, this book spotlights the inner workings of a multi-billion-dollar industry and the effect on patients, families, and hospice staff. The author shares poignant accounts of hospice at its best and worst and the hard-hitting truths she learned on her journey. A must-read for family members exploring hospice care."
— Laura Kukowski, CEO, editor, For-Profit Badger Hospice, LLC
"Maryclaire Torinus speaks with authority, providing this essential handbook for choosing a hospice care team and why that selection really matters."
— Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care
"When I first found out that Maryclaire Torinus was writing this book, I immediately contacted her because in my 25+ years supporting hospice volunteers, I have seen a gradual decline in the quality of care volunteers are permitted to provide the dying and their families. There are a variety of reasons for this that I describe in the Foreward of this book. Maryclaire provides invaluable insights that everyone should know, along with solutions to help others make the right choice in choosing a hospice."
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I had an African American patient I’ll call Katherine, who was in her eighties. Most of the time, she slept or looked up at the ceiling. I knew she was Baptist and from Alabama. I thought she might like some good old gospel music. After researching on the Internet, I decided to bring in CD’s by Mahalia Jackson, who is considered by many to be the greatest gospel singer ever. When I turned on the CD player to "When the Saints Go Marching In," Katherine’s eyes widened like popped corn. Her face wore the best rainbow smile I ever saw.