Music Therapy Brings Patients Comfort and Joy

Feb 19, 2024

Holidays can be a hard time for hospice families, especially if their loved one suffers from dementia and has difficulty communicating in the way they used to. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a patient who has end-stage dementia. When I arrived at the facility where she lives, I happened to run into the patient and her family out in the hallway.

They were headed to a common living area to look at the Christmas decorations. We used the opportunity to engage the patient in singing some of her favorite Christmas songs. Throughout the session, the patient became increasingly alert and engaged, smiling, reporting enjoyment of the music and eventually even singing along as the music began to prompt her memory. 


At the end of the visit, the patient’s son noted, “That’s the most engaged I’ve seen her in a long time.” I love witnessing the power of music therapy any time of year, but it feels especially valuable during the holiday season, when making memories with loved ones in hospice often feels more difficult. 


Our Integrative Medicine program is entirely funded through private support, including grants and philanthropic donations. No BCN patient is ever turned away from receiving Integrative Medicine therapies due to their insurance status, and there is no charge to the patient for these services. Without the dedication and care made possible through the generosity of donors patients would not have enjoyed the same quality of life or dignity in navigating their end-of-life journeys.   


Join us in Giving to Help Future Patients

Empowering Peace: Navigating Life Beyond the Present with Advance Directives

12 Apr, 2024
April 16th marks Healthcare Decisions Day, a day dedicated to promoting advance care planning (ACP), ensuring individuals' medical preferences are honored, even when they can't communicate them. Diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at 35, Ashley Holt had to learn to navigate and accept her new reality, as well as prepare for life after now. Through her journey and current role at Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN), she intertwines personal experience with advocacy for ACP, particularly within communities of color and support groups, highlighting the importance of planning for life beyond the present.

Art Therapy Helps Patient Communicate in New Ways

By Whitney Clay • 05 Apr, 2024
I always take a deep breath when I get a visit request for a patient who is an artist. Sometimes it is difficult to bridge the gap between art making and art therapy, and not every artist at the end of life needs or benefits from art therapy. Sometimes the ability to make art is one of the losses being grieved by a patient and arriving with simple supplies such as oil pastels and colored pencils feels like an insult when the home is filled with stunning oil paintings or drawings. Often, it feels like a caregiver is hoping I can help them reclaim something lost to illness and decline.

Art Therapy Gives Bluegrass Care Navigators Patient a New Lease on Life

04 Mar, 2024
Ronnie Stinnett, a patient at Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN), discovered a unique way to find a new purpose through the transformative power of art therapy.

Navigating Grief at Valentine’s Day

By By Mary McKenzie, Bereavement Counselor, Cynthiana • 13 Feb, 2024
Valentine's Day is just another 'special day' grieving spouses may dread. It can be especially difficult for the recently widowed. The potential load of emotional pain, such as loneliness, sadness, and isolation may depend upon whether Valentine's Day had special meaning for you as a couple. Grief can be intensified by triggers or flashbacks of special memories. Loss of identity and self-confidence can further promote a perception of awkwardness, especially in a world pushing a couple mindset. This is only heightened by media and stores advertising the upcoming special day.

Massage Therapy Relieves Stress and Gives Joy to Patient and Clinician

By Reflection from Sarah Steele, massage therapist • 26 Jan, 2024
Recently, Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN) massage therapist, Sarah Steele, had the opportunity to provide massage to a patient, relieving her stress and giving joy. In the article below, she shares how this intervention helped her patient, who lived at a memory care center with her husband, find hope.

Massage Therapy Provides Transformative Care

21 Dec, 2023
In the hushed hallways of a hospice center, Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN) massage therapists introduced a transformative form of care - comforting touch for the hands. A seemingly simple concept, it evolved into a profound tool, touching lives when they were most vulnerable.

Music Therapy Helps Patient Find Solace and Connection

21 Dec, 2023
In the realm of hospice care, there are often hidden heroes – family members who, in the shadow of a loved one's illness, carry the weight of caregiving. The story of Mark and his mother Anne epitomizes the love and dedication that often go unnoticed. Anne had reached the final stage of her battle with vascular dementia, a journey fraught with pain and confusion. The move to Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN) for hospice care was a challenging transition.

Art Therapy Helps Dementia Patient Combat Anxiety and Depression

21 Dec, 2023
In the final chapters of her life, an elderly patient named Margaret embarked on an unexpected and heartwarming journey as part of her care with Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN).

Bluegrass PACE Care Helps Kentuckian to Walk Again

15 Dec, 2023
Barbara Harris, current participant in Bluegrass PACE Care, believes that enrolling in PACE is the best decision she ever made for her physical, mental and emotional health. At the Bluegrass PACE Center, she’s found a new community outside of her home, made new friends and receives patient-centered medical care. As a result, she’s learning to take her first steps post-amputation.

Patient Leaves Lasting Legacy Through Heartbeat Song Thanks to Music Therapy

06 Dec, 2023
Irene Thomas faced many challenges as the result of her dementia diagnosis. Her family struggled to provide care, and they believe that Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN) was an answer to their prayers. Team BCN coupled expert, compassionate clinical care with support from our integrative medicine team that helped boost Irene’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and allowed her to leave a meaningful legacy for her family.
More Posts
Share by: