OUR INTEGRATED therapies
All hospices care for the body; we care for body, mind and spirit providing the best in medical care, and integrating special therapies to care for the whole person. Our therapists use musical instruments, voice, art, animals, essential oils, their hearts and hands to expand the way we care for our patients and their loved ones.
Music Therapy
A Music Therapist uses all aspects of music in working with a person¹s
emotional, cognitive, physical, social and spiritual being. The skillful use
of music can potentially increase limited communication, decrease pain and
stress and increase relaxation. Music can provide for the experience and
expression of difficult emotions. Participation in music therapy allows for
the expression of emotions that might not otherwise be possible.
The person receiving music therapy needs no previous musical experience.
Music Thanatology
Music thanatology creates a musical field of reverence, intimacy, and beauty
in the course of one¹s dying process. The music thanatologist uses harp,
voice, and silence to deliver live prescriptive music for the patient, based
on observation and vital sign changes during a music vigil. This can ease
the dying process for the individual and his or her loved ones at any phase
of the hospice course. Benefits are notably seen in regard to physical pain,
difficulty breathing, agitation, sleeplessness as well as resolution of
spiritual and emotional suffering, and grief. The music vigil can serve as a
comforting bridge for patients and their loved ones by using the universal
language of music when verbal communication has fallen away.
Pawprints
Pawprints is The Denver Hospice¹s animal-assisted therapy program. Specially
trained human-animal teams along with the therapeutic skills of a hospice
social worker assist with symptom management such as pain, respiratory
problems and anxiety, and sensory stimulation. Contact with or even the
presence of an animal may help facilitate the release and/or expression of
thoughts, feelings or emotions. The Pawprints program is available in each
aspect of hospice and palliative care including home care, inpatient
settings and bereavement.
Massage Therapy and Comfort Touch
Massage therapy is skilled, systematic touch applied with sensitivity and
compassion by professionally trained therapists. The intention is to
increase comfort,complement medical treatment and support the individual
both physically and emotionally.
Comfort Touch, a nurturing form of acupressure massage is safe and
appropriate for those with chronic illness, the elderly, and those nearing
the
end of life. Deeply soothing and respectful, it can relieve pain, promote
relaxation and comfort. Trained staff and volunteers provide Comfort Touch.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy uses pure essential oils extracted from plants to help relieve
a variety of physical and emotional health conditions. Hospice patients
particularly benefit from this therapy in treating pain, nausea, depression,
anxiety, agitation and sleeplessness with virtually no side effects. These
oils are delivered by inhalation or diluted and applied to the skin using
individually prepared formulations.
Art Therapy
Art therapy uses the creative process of art making to enhance the physical,
mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of people of all ages. No
artistic skills are necessary to participate in this form of self-expression
that can help resolve conflicts and problems, reduce stress, increase
self-esteem and self-awareness and achieve insight. In the hospice setting,
art therapy can aid symptom management, provide a means to communicate about
terminal illness, facilitate exploration of spiritual concerns, and serve to
support grieving friends and family members.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a brief psychotherapeutic intervention during which the
therapist assists the patient to enter a state in which the body is highly
relaxed and the mind is very alert and receptive to suggestions. The aim is
that the patient will act upon the suggestions in everyday life without
needing to think about them. The therapist first consults with the patient
to determine the nature of the problem and the patient¹s goals. In hospice
care, hypnotherapy is used to relieve physical symptoms such as pain and
fatigue, as well as responses to illness and end-of-life such as anxiety,
fear, depression, anger, frustration, isolation and diminished self-esteem.
Biofield Therapies
Therapeutic touch, Healing Touch, and Reiki are based on the concept that
the human body consists of patterns of energy which can be balanced in order
to relieve tension, pain, and other symptoms and support the individual on
all levels of body, mind, and spirit. These therapies, which have been
integral in the oldest of medical systems, are backed by scientific research
and provided by trained practitioners.
Contact Us
To schedule an Integrative Therapy or speak to a member of your care team
please call: 303-321-2828.