Complementary Services

The Complementary Services Department of Tidewell Hospice offers a full array of special programs that bring quality of life to those with advanced illness. The variety of complementary therapies - used together with conventional medicine - are designed to facilitate stress reduction for patient and caregiver, pain relief and distraction, opportunities for "joy" and healing of psycho-social issues for patients and their families.

The categories of complementary therapy that Tidewell employs are:

Mind-Body Interventions

• Expressive Arts
• Music
• Horticultural Therapy
• Reminiscence and Life Review
• Pet Therapy
• Clowns - Humor

Manipulative and Body-Based Methods

• Caring Touch
• Massage
• Aromatherapy

Energy Therapies

• Therapeutic Touch
• Reiki

Expressive Arts

At Tidewell, we utilize a type of art called "Expressive Art." It is artwork that is not concerned about the end result, but rather with the process of creating art. This is art that diverts the patient's attention from the symptoms that might be causing stress and redirects it into the creative process. Several patients have stated that "when I am working with art, I forget about my pain." Some have reached the point that they can say "when I feel pain coming on, I get out my art project and work on that until the pain goes away."

There are three types of providers for these expressive arts services. Licensed and certified expressive arts therapists and nurse/artists are contracted to work directly with the patients on a per-diem basis. These contract artists also train staff, family and volunteers in techniques that allow for a greater amount of patients to be served.

Volunteers can take a four-hour initial training in watercolor, collage and mandala techniques that they can begin to use in their patient care. The volunteers are mentored for their first visit and are invited to participate in more advanced expressive arts techniques. Volunteers are trained and instructed to "facilitate" the process for the patient and not to engage in interpretation.

Sometimes, Community Artists will offer or be invited to do their work for individual patients or for facilities, whereby patients and families can observe the artist at work. This provides an interesting and calming diversion.

Music

There is definitely a correlation between the rhythm of music and the rhythm of the human body. Music has the ability to bring the body into harmony when it is stressed and has been able to serve as a "gatekeeper" in an attempt to control pain. Music works on the left side of the brain, and blocks out neural transmitters that carry pain signals. This allows the right side of the brain to take over and create images and feelings of peace. Music encourages a body to release its own endorphins which help stop pain.

Our talented and committed contract and volunteer harpists make regular visits to the Hospice Houses, and other facilities as requested. They are often called to play at vigil and at transition into death. Volunteers and Home health aides are trained in the use of music for relaxation and reminiscence. They are provided with appropriate recordings and CD players. Guest performers are often employed for special occasions.

Horticultural Therapy

In 2001, Tidewell began a pilot program in horticultural therapy under the direction of a registered horticultural therapist. The primary goals for working with the patients were to use plants and gardening activities to reduce stress and discomfort, alleviate depression and feelings of boredom and loneliness, facilitate communication between patients and their visitors, the nursing staff and the horticultural therapist, and enable patients to regain a sense of control in their lives by giving them plants to care for and to grow as living legacies.

Four years later the program is a wide success. Each hospice house has a "sensory stimulation" garden (comprised of scented roses and fragrant herbs, as well as a butterfly garden). Many of these projects were achieved with the support of community agencies, such as the Master Gardeners and the Sarasota Butterfly Club. One project is currently being co-managed with a local alternative high school as an opportunity to bring youth and seniors together.

Certified therapists work individually with patients, train and assist volunteers and manage gardens. Trained volunteers use sensory stim plants to engage with patients and their families. Other volunteers maintain floral arrangements for the hospice houses and work with the therapists in keeping the gardens in good repair.

Pet Therapy

Through our pet therapy program, we have seen how being able to touch an animal can bring back memories and trigger discussion - sometimes in patients who haven't spoken for months. We've found that the best pain reliever comes when the mind is occupied with something comforting. In The Healing Power of Pets, Dr. Marty Becker discusses the studies done for the physiological basis for the effectiveness of animal assisted therapy. What he found was that after 10 minutes of settling down together (pet & person), blood pressure dropped for both pet and person.

Our pet therapy volunteers are especially trained in pet visitations. After undergoing the original hospice training, they must also attend pet therapy orientation and pet evaluation. Pets are evaluated by their temperament and owners are evaluated by their ability to control their animal. Our dogs are certified and insured by Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc.

Currently there are 100 pets that make scheduled visits to hospice houses, nursing homes and patient residences.

Humor

Dan Gascon, a well-known speaker on humor, says that humor gives balance to our lives in five ways:

• Humor relieves you of tension and stress.
• Humor gives you an aerobic and internal workout.
• Respiration is enhanced, blood pressure is lowered, and oxygen in the bloodstream increases.
• Humor stimulates your immune system.
• Humor gives you a perspective that helps you cope.
• Humor empowers and enhances your quality of life.

In 2001, Tidewell's clowns were officially recognized as an official clown alley by "Clowns of America International." We remain the only hospice-affiliated clown alley in the U.S.

Boasting 30 active volunteers, our clowns are very busy. In addition to volunteer training, they receive 18 hours of clown basics - costuming, makeup and specific aspects of hospice clowning. They meet monthly to discuss upcoming events and schedule educational events to keep their skills fresh. They regularly visit area nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and anywhere their presence is requested. They are a favorite for community events, giving Tidewell a positive way to present its many offerings to the public.

Please click here to download the latest Tidewell Clown Alley newsletter

Massage Therapy

Therapeutic massage is well known for its contribution to pain and stress management and for evoking an overall relaxation response. Pain control is often a primary concern for individuals who have cancer or other progressively debilitating diseases, and massage has long proven useful as a therapy for any condition that includes a stress component.

A Licensed Massage Therapist oversees and supervises consultations and the work of our Volunteer Licensed Massage Therapists. Current licenses are mandatory, and education and review of policy for treatments, including contraindications, are on-going.

In addition to therapeutic massage delivered by licensed massage therapists, Tidewell also offers Reiki, Therapeutic Touch and Caring Touch to patients and families.

Therapeutic touch works by manipulating the energy "field" around each person's body, not by touching the body itself. This manipulation is done through deliberate use of the hands and energy of a trained and skilled practitioner. Even though it is gentle, its effects are powerful. Many patients report that they experience a decrease in their perception of pain and a much greater ease in breathing after a Therapeutic Touch session.

The goal of Caring touch is to nurture and support the client as a partner in their care. It is employed by slow rhythmic stroking, extremely light holds and circular strokes. The caregiver's intuition and intention is stressed in imparting empathy and love. Therapeutic and Caring touch is done by volunteers who have been trained by a certified instructor.

Reiki is a holistic method of healing, functioning on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels to promote a sense of wholeness and well-being. It is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that is administered by "laying on hands," and channeling the unseen "life force energy." Reiki I and Reiki II are taught by Reiki Masters on a regular basis to volunteers and staff.

Aromatherapy is defined as the use of essential oils to benefit the mind, body and spirit. The oils can be calming, antiseptic, stimulating and meditative. In the hospice setting, aromatherapy is used for relaxation, restlessness and odor elimination from the patient's room. Lavender, lemon, sweet orange and grapefruit are the four essential oils approved for use by Tidewell.

In addition to these essential oils, Tidewell has specially blended lotion, designed to relieve terminal restlessness. This "Tranquility Lotion" contains the essential oils; rosewood, myrrh, frankincense, ylang ylang and other essences in a very soothing base. Volunteers are trained to use the Tranquility Lotion, along with Caring Touch, in their vigil workshops.

For more information about any of the offerings of Creative and Caring Connections, email kbergen@tidewell.org

 

Bulletin Board

Arcadia
Volunteer meetings are held the last Wednesday of each month at the Arcadia office. For more info: msica@tidewell.org

East Manatee
Monthly volunteer informational and support meetings will be suspended for the summer months. We will resume our meetings on the last Wednesday of each month on Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. For more info: kgrisez@tidewell.org

Englewood
Lunch and Learn volunteer meetings are held the third Friday of each month from noon to 1:30 p.m.at the Englewood Office. For more info: lmelchior@tidewell.org

Port Charlotte
Monthly volunteer support meetings have been suspended for the summer. For more info: nvollmer@tidewell.org

West Manatee
Monthly volunteer meeting is next scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Bradenton Office. For more info: landerson@tidewell.org

Venice
Volunteer meetings are held the third Friday of each month at 2 p.m. at the Venice Office. For more info: lpierce@tidewell.org or kbender@tidewell.org

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