With the innovations in healthcare currently, more people with terminal conditions are living longer than they would have envisioned after their diagnosis. This has been possible mainly to the development of end-of-life therapies. These are often remedies and treatments designed to boost people’s comfort even when there is no available cure for their condition. Hospice care has also shifted to accommodate the growing numbers of patients and the diverse needs of their medical welfare.
Centers offering hospice services have invested in décor and are no longer drab and hopeless. Hospices now provide a cheerful environment that will boost the moods of patients and staff and mimic a home-like environment for patients. The lively atmosphere of most centers makes them suitable for integrative therapies; they also aid in managing various issues common during the final stages of a disease. These therapies are designed to complement conventional medication, and all are needed to boost a patient’s comfort and well-being. The following are some integrative therapy options that will transform a patient’s end-of-life in hospice care.
Massage Therapy
This is a hands-on therapy designed to improve your comfort and relieve the pain and muscle discomfort patients experience. The physical manipulation of the muscles in massage therapy also boosts blood flow to various body sections and your energy levels. It also helps to relieve anxiety, insomnia, and pain and improve the overall mood of patients. Massage therapy is commonly used in combination with reflexology and meditation.
Aromatherapy
This uses essential oils for patients’ therapy. It has a significant positive impact on the alleviation of fatigue and nausea and has also been proven to reduce depression and anxiety in some patients. The essential oils that will be used for a patient largely depend on the issues to be addressed.
Music Therapy
Music in all situations is relaxing, soothing, energizing, and nurturing. It is thus now used in hospice care to reduce stress and anxiety, improve alertness, and trigger happy memories. It also promotes relaxation and reduces one’s perception of nausea or pain by shifting focus. In many cases, most patients who use music therapy become more active and happier.
Art Therapy
Art provides an avenue for patients to relieve their anxiety and other issues they might be battling with. This does not mean that the patients need to be perfect painters or sculptors, but rather those willing to engage in various forms of art. Other than being a form of therapy for patients, art can be used to make a souvenir for a patient’s loved ones. It also puts patients in the right frame of mind to make decisions on their care and the distribution of their estates.
A few hospice centers will offer the above forms of therapy to a patient’s loved ones as well. This way, they are also in the right frame of mind and relaxed to help a patient deal with the issues they are experiencing. With the right choice of a hospice center, a loved one need not suffer even in the final stages of the condition.
