Our Mission
Our mission is to counter isolation and to improve the quality of life of residents of skilled nursing homes across Florida. We do this through the provision of one-on-one, live therapeutic music services, at bedside and remotely, for in-the-moment comfort care, and to create an environment conducive to healing.
Our person-centered focus is on residents of our flagship nursing home partners throughout Florida, and on residents of nursing homes in rural areas of Florida, which are often challenged by limited availability of human resources to support residents. We provide live, one-to-one, technology-based therapeutic music, when on site presence is not safe or practical.
Nursing home residents are the direct beneficiaries of our therapeutic music. The music also positively impacts staff and families as it creates a soothing environment conducive to well-being: The nurturing, peaceful atmosphere created can further enhance quality of care, and in turn, quality of life.
WHAT IS THERAPEUTIC MUSIC?
Therapeutic music is live, one-on-one music that is tailored for the immediate condition and needs of the resident. Grounded in the science of sound and the physiology of the human body, it is especially appropriate to help with challenges that nursing home residents (and caregivers) often face, including:
- managing pain without opioids
- calming from anxiety
- relaxing muscle tension; and
- facilitating replenishing sleep.
Read more about how certified therapeutic musicians support well-being in healthcare and the research that supports music as an interventional tool for these challenges.
Easing Isolation
Social isolation is especially detrimental for nursing home residents who are experiencing one of the many forms of progressive dementia, suffering with the awareness that they are vulnerable and the abject terror that comes from forgetting where they are, how they got there and who is coming to help.
One-on-one therapeutic music, delivered live at bedside, or remotely, provides in-the-moment, compassionate, comfort care. It can provide a desperately needed sense of safety, and alleviate the anxiety experienced by nursing home residents who experience social isolation as a result of medical circumstances (such as pandemic, disease, or mobility), or simply because they have a limited support system with few to no visitors.
BENEFITS OF THERAPEUTIC MUSIC
How Can Therapeutic Music Benefit Nursing Home Residents?
- Diminish stress
- Relieve anxiety, agitation, and tension
- Lower and/or stabilize blood pressure
- Lower and stabilize elevated heart rate
- Relieve pain and reduce need for pain medication
- Boost the immune system
- Increase sense of wellbeing and peace
- Enhance level of physical and emotional comfort
- Increase quality of sleep
- Promote healing of injuries and surgical recovery
- Support cognitive function of residents with dementia
- Gently ease the end of life transition
- Elevate level of care received
- Increase level of satisfaction with care by both resident and family members
Healthcare Team Collaboration
Our Therapeutic Musicians, including Therapeutic Music Practitioners and Music-Thanatologists, serve collaboratively with other members of the healthcare team, including nurses, clinical techs, physicians, and therapists, addressing the resident’s condition in compliance with HIPAA privacy requirements.
Covid-19
What About Covid-19?
Since the onset of Covid-19, isolation has been a challenge for nursing home residents who are especially vulnerable due to age-related health issues. As needed for resident safety, we have the ability, through technology, to be in-the-moment with residents, through one-on-one remote presence using telecommunications that are similar to secure telemedicine.
Covid-19 has exacerbated isolation, and we can help. Our musicians are able to provide music remotely through I-Pad and other technology that allows us to bring nurturing presence and therapeutic music directly the patient.
Our Services
What Service Do Our Therapeutic Music Practitioners and Music-Thanatologists Provide?
Our Therapeutic Music Practitioners offer caring presence and bring soothing, one-on-one, live therapeutic music (at the bedside or remotely) to create a nurturing, compassionate environment that is conducive to healing, wellbeing, and comfort. One-on-one therapeutic music is chosen and adapted, for each nursing home resident served, to specifically address the immediate, in-the-moment condition and needs of that resident. As the resident’s condition and/or needs change during the therapeutic music session, the Therapeutic Music Practitioner changes the music accordingly to address the changing need.
The music we provide facilitates the ability of the human body to heal. It creates a sense of emotional and mental wellbeing for residents and their family members, and even the nursing care staff, which enhances the level of care to the residents.
Music-thanatologists provide harp and vocal music to respond to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the dying and their loved ones. The music offers solace and often serves to ease and relieve restlessness, agitation, labored breathing, and fear. Music-thanatology can help the dying person to gently let go with grace and dignity.
program outcomes & customer satisfaction
In addition to creating a healing environment for the patient, therapeutic music can ease stress and support the well-being and morale of nursing staff. Family members often comment that they feel comforted and relieved of stress, as well. There is a cumulative beneficial impact to the nursing home environment that enhances quality of life for both the cared for and the caregivers.
Therapeutic music is not music therapy
Therapeutic musicians offer in-the-moment comfort care, and do not offer music therapy. Music therapists are licensed professionals who prepare a treatment plan with goals and objectives to measure changes in function or behavior. We are not music therapists.
Read more about the differences between Therapeutic Music and Music Therapy: Therapeutic Music Services at a Glance: An Overview of Music Therapy and Therapeutic Music, Ver. 15.1, August 2015, was jointly prepared by the American Music Therapy Association and the National Standards Board of Therapeutic Musicians.