Nursing & Rehabilitation
WHY INTEGRATE MUSIC THERAPY INTO SKILLED NURSING & REHABILITATION?
Through research studies, music therapy has been observed to…
Reduce agitation and aggressive behaviors
Improve the patient's sense of energy and motivation to exercise
Decrease paranoia and delusional ideation
Provide a distraction from pain and suffering
Positively affect the patient's socialization skills
Increase self-reported life satisfaction, and add variety to life
Music therapy is built on the understanding that expression leads to healing.
Integrating a mental health focus into nursing and rehabilitation can have a direct impact on the patient’s motivation to participate in physical therapy, reduce isolation and agitation, and increase the patient’s willingness to accept the treatment that they need for healing and rehabilitation.
Musical experiences lend themselves naturally to providing a space for emotional exploration. With the guide of a music therapist, your patients and long-term residents are given opportunities for emotional integration, emotional healing, and expression. We strive for the emotional well-being of our clients. We celebrate their joys. We hold space for their sorrows. As your residents express themselves through music therapy work, they will be opened to a possibility of healing, growth, and connection.
Music therapy also presents benefits in areas of physical, cognitive, and social well-being.
Physical: We focus on integrating movement-based interventions while creating or moving to the music to help maximize physical mobility. Through collaboration with physical therapists, patients can also be given opportunities to reach some of their PT goals through the music therapy experience.
Cognitive: Strategies for increased cognitive activity are used constantly throughout our sessions to support our clients in maximizing their cognitive capabilities. This may take the form of using musical intervention for short-term and/or long term memory retrieval, and/or cognitive stimulation through the creative process.
Social: It is natural for a resident to feel a stronger connection with those around them when sharing in a musical experience. Group music therapy experiences may include group singing and instrument playing, group songwriting, and movement & dancing.
Our board-certified music therapists conduct ongoing assessment of the needs of your patients, and come prepared with their needs in mind to help them have a successful and fulfilling experience.
If you are interested in music therapy for your facility, please contact us!
We can provide a free consultation, additional educational services, and a customized quote for your facility based on your current needs.
Music Therapy Services
Segue Expressive Therapies offers various types of music therapy services for Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation facilities:
Music Therapy for Long-term Care & Rehabilitation Patients: These groups focus on wellness, emotional validation, and coping with various challenges that are typically experienced by individuals receiving long-term care and rehabilitation services. Our music therapists strive to create a safe environment for exploring any current difficulties such as grief, loss of independence, health decline, family conflict, and mental illness. Musical intervention and group discussion are utilized to facilitate increased motivation for recovery as appropriate, to give validation, and to teach/practice coping strategies for dealing with change in a healthy way. Our music therapy groups are also focused on reinforcing the sense of community and support within the facility through joint music making experiences.
Size of the group in attendance largely impacts the approach used, and the goals that are targeted within the session:
Small Group (5-10 participants): Small groups are generally run as a support group, including an invitation to each of the participants to share any joys or concerns they are currently experiencing. The musical experience is tailored to current needs of the group, and may focus on using music for promoting expression, validation of emotions, building community, mindfulness and relaxation, or teaching/practicing methods of coping with difficult emotions. Followup for small group sessions can be communicated through post-session notes sent via email per request.
Large Group (10-25 participants): Clinical focus in a large group session is assessed at the start of each session, and is dependent on the overall mood and energy level of the participants in attendance. Participants are invited to collaborate on how to use music intentionally during the session for their own support. The musical experience may focus on community building, emotional validation/expression, mindful practice, mood enhancement, or providing support and guidance through a transition (change in environment, change in health, change in personal limitations).
Music Therapy for Memory Care Residents: Our memory care groups utilize research-based music therapy models for creating an experience of social connection, sensory stimulation, and emotional support for your residents who are experiencing various forms of dementia. Using client-preferred music, interventions are used to support emotional and cognitive skills such as short-term recall, long-term recall, environment awareness, emotional engagement, and socialization. Additionally, our music therapists utilize the innate rhythmic components of the musical experience for movement and dance.
Individual Sessions (room visits): Individual sessions are available as an option for residents who require additional one-on-one support, or who are unable to attend a group session due to physical limitations. Individual sessions focus on addressing specific needs of the resident, introducing and practicing coping strategies, opportunities for practicing mindfulness, instilling motivation, hope, and comfort regarding their current circumstances, and psycho-education pertaining to their emotional needs.
Music Therapy for the Workplace: Music therapy has been used increasingly to maintain the mental health of workers in various industries. Attention to the mental health needs of staff working in healthcare and social services is particularly important, due to the high amount of stress and compassion fatigue that accompanies this important work. Music therapy can be a cost-effective option to addressing burnout, providing staff members with a healthy outlet for work-related stress, and ideally decreasing staff turnover. Music therapy in the workplace has been reported to:
Stimulate employees’ creative inspiration
Eliminate employee fatigue
Enhance friendship between employees
Improve employee work efficiency
Improve employees' sense of corporate identity
Reduce employee pain sense
