“I just remember one of the things she said to me as I was leaving the session was – she said I was ‘coming at the right time’,” Scholz said, “and to me that means a lot. – to be there for someone who is going through something difficult mentally and emotionally and for me to be there when she needed someone to help her through it.
Other patients may not show a lot of responses, so he looks for small signs like raised eyebrows instead.
“A lady the other day she wasn’t responding verbally at all, but I started singing to her and held her hand, and she started moving her arm for some kind of music and reciprocal movement – basically dancing with me, ”says Scholz. When he left, she grabbed his hand, bringing it to her face. “We had a very good visit that way. “
Through St. Croix, Scholz visits up to seven patients a day, meets with them at home, in assisted living and nursing homes, according to Amanda Cherico, spokesperson for St. Croix. He takes requests, plays music from any era or genre, sometimes with the advice of family members of the patient.
When a person is admitted, the reception nurse reviews the list of services available with them and their family, which can help decide if music therapy would be helpful, Scholz said.
“St. Croix Hospice is somewhat unique as not many hospices offer the service of music therapy,” he said, “and it is very important to have a service like this that is a qualified professional to answer. to the needs of patients and improve their quality of life. “
