‘Dear Sir’, wrote a friend of mine, ‘My mother passed away on Feb.18. She first lost consciousness – after three days of very poor intake of food – at 4 p.m. on 17th and continued breathing through mouth till 8.30 a.m. the next day. She must have been aware of what was happening around her. We played some of her favourite songs on the tape and CD. Thanks very much for helping us to introduce a novel therapy when she was alive. It certainly helped to prolong her life and contribute to her quality of living.’
A 75 year old lady was a cancer patient, who was abandoned by the medical profession after trying various measures including radiation. She had no place to go except to face the music. Instead of facing ‘music’, she was advised to ‘hear’ the music, which made all the difference in her home front.
The ailing lady was advised a dose of songs which she used to sing or hear during her childhood and adolescence. Her son made all arrangements to get those favourites re-recorded in CD’s which were played to her at least thrice a day for 30 minutes, immediately after she had had her meal.
The result was encouraging. From a helpless and frustrated behaviour with the children in the household, she became cheerful and even participative in the household chores. Death did take her away from them. But thanks to the palliative music, her last days were made pleasant.
The palliative care movement in Australia began in the early 1980’s in response to the needs of the dying. In recent decades, palliative care has evolved and developed into a recognised specialty of healthcare practice that acknowledges the holistic needs of patients and their families/carers. In preparing for their death, patients with terminal illnesses may express a need to explore and confirm their identity in terms of their familial, social, cultural and ethnic heritage. It is for music therapists to build upon existing foundations to consolidate music therapy’s future in palliative care and eventually into a larger healthcare movement.
When people are dying, they fluctuate through various psychological states. Several observers have tried to incorporate these psychological states into theoretical models that describe the process of dying. There are four theoretical models drawing on the early work of Kubler-Ross .
One of these models by West (1994) has suggested ways that music therapy can support terminally ill patients. Many music therapists are of the view that this theoretical model can be incorporated into music therapy practices for terminally ill patients. With a heightened awareness of these suggestions and theoretical models of the dying process supported by examples of how they are applied, music therapists will be better informed in their clinical work with terminally ill patients.
The presentation of known songs and adaptations of known songs – as was experimented here – elicited a range of responses in the lady.
Further study of the role and effects of music with this patient group is required.
It is clear that a multidisciplinary music therapy treatment team approach for hospice and palliative care units will prove very useful as the process of dying will be transformed into a beautiful pathway of rose petals – thanks to the magic in music.
This Article was published in Bhavan Journal – Feb 28, 2007 – Pages 97, 98
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, July 6, 2021.