Friday, March 11, 2011

How Useful Is Reflexology? Part 3

Palliative Medicine
“Heart failure and palliative care services working in partnership: report of a new model of care” (UK)
“…It is widely acknowledged that people with advanced heart failure have at least as great a need for supportive and palliative care as those with malignant disease. However, specialist palliative care services are seldom involved in their care in the UK. We describe a three-year collaboration between community-based heart failure nurse specialists and existing specialist palliative care services. In the model of care that has evolved, the heart failure nurses remain key workers throughout the illness. They run a regular support group for patients and carers in the setting of a hospice day therapy unit, referring patients for other palliative care involvement as necessary. Activity data and the results of patient interviews are presented. These suggest that the model is a cost effective, sustainable way of providing high quality care for people with heart failure.…
“...medication, nutrition, psychological wellbeing, benefits advice and how to exercise. Complementary therapies including reflexology and acupuncture. Regular group relaxation session led by the psychologist.”
http://pmj.sagepub.com/content/20/6/593.abstract
• American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
“Assessing complementary therapy services in a hospice program…” (US)
“To assess the use of complementary and alternative medicine in hospice care in the state of Washington.…” Hospices offering inpatient and outpatient care in Washington State were surveyed by phone interview. Results. Response rate was 100%. Results indicated that 86% of Washington State hospices offered complementary and alternative services to their patients, most frequently massage (87%), music therapy (74%), energy healing (65%), aromatherapy (45%), guided imagery (45%), compassionate touch (42%), acupuncture (32%), pet therapy (32%), meditation (29%), art therapy (22%), reflexology (19%), and hypnotherapy (16%). Most hospices relied on volunteers with or without small donations to offer such services.”
http://ajh.sagepub.com/content/25/6/463.abstract
• American Journal of Hospice Palliative Care
“Music Therapy in an Integrated Pediatric Palliative Care Program” (US)
“The conjoint use of music therapy and reflexology with hospitalized advanced stage cancer patients and …“National experts have recommended that children with life-limiting illnesses receive integrated palliative and medical care. These programs offer a variety of services, including music therapy. Using survey data from parents whose were enrolled in Florida’s Partners in Care: Together for Kids (PIC:TFK) program, this study investigates parents’ experiences with music therapy. About 44% of children with life-limiting illnesses and 17% of their siblings used music therapy. For children who used music therapy, multivariate results suggest that their parents were 23 times as likely to report satisfaction with the overall PIC:TFK program (P <.05) versus parents whose children did not use music therapy. Pediatric palliative care programs should include music therapy, although recruiting licensed music therapists may be challenging.”
http://ajh.sagepub.com/content/26/6/449.abstract

Part 4-  Dementia

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