Insights - Winter 2010 - (Page 25)

Complementary Therapy Innovators By Valerie Hartman RN, CHPN, CTRN There are many ways to use complementary therapies to bring comfort and relaxation to hospice patients and families, but starting a complementary therapy program will move this work into the therapeutic realm. In this article, you will learn about three hospice organizations which have done just that, and some of the amazing benefits that have come from offering a range of modalities. Then, beginning on page 28, you’ll find guidance about starting a Complementary Therapies Program, including why you should start one, who to hire, and some safety considerations. At Montgomery Hospice Sandra Lavengood, MHSA, LMT, is the touch therapies manager at Montgomery Hospice in Rockville, Maryland. A licensed massage therapist and energy practitioner, Sandra started out as one of three volunteer services managers at this suburban Maryland hospice. However, rapid growth in the last year (from a census of 200 to now nearly 300), together with grant funding as part of a major dementia initiative, enabled the hospice to expand and formalize its Complementary Therapies Program. For several years, lavenderoil hand massage had been included in basic training for all 230 volunteers. Today, under the new Complementary Therapies Program, touch and music therapy as well as aromatherapy are offered and Sandra has been able to transition into a newly created position as “touch therapies manager”—with the responsibility for developing and supervising a Volunteer Massage Therapy Program and coordinating complementary therapies more broadly. With a professional and holistic vision, she researched a variety of trainings and decided to establish a massage program on the use of Comfort Touch®, a trademarked acupressure protocol that is deemed safe and effective for patients receiving hospice services. Sandra received training in Comfort continued on next page... Current Offerings at Montgomery Hospice Touch Therapy Lavender-oil hand massages by hospice volunteers. Comfort Touch®/palliative massages by volunteer licensed massage therapists. Music by the Bedside Reverie Harp as well as music for relaxation and recreation by trained staff and volunteers. Aromatherapy Staff- and volunteeradministered essential oils deemed safe for hospice patients, including three custom aromatherapy blends, with guidelines for use. Pet Therapy Offered in partnership with a local Pets-on-Wheels program. Art Therapy Expressive arts to complement bereavement services—enhanced with the recent hire of a bereavement counselor with a degree in art therapy. Insights 25 

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Insights - Winter 2010

Cover 1
Table of Contents
Thank You
A Philosophical Look at the IDT
Resistance to Change: Perception or Reality?
The Hospice Physician: More Involved—and More Engaged
The Role of Volunteers in Management
Complementary Therapy Innovators
Spending a Day in Their Team Member’s Shoes
Bereavement Professionals Shadow 6 Colleagues
Pharmacists and Nurses Connect
A Social Worker Sits in for an Office Manager
Clinical and Marketing Teams Shadow Each Other
Helpful Reminders for Executive Leadership
Keeping the IDT Spirit Alive
The Art of NCHPP
Using My NHPCO
Essential Guide to Hospice Management (display ad)
NHPCO Educational Offerings
Cover 2

Insights - Winter 2010

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