Dreier’s Teams Up with Seasons Hospice

Seasons Hospice music therapists are helping patients around the country, and recently worked with two in Glendale who improved to the point that they transferred out of hospice care. The company’s three Southern California offices, including one in Pasadena, each employ full-time, credentialed music therapists who travel to contracting facilities to serve patients.

Rebecca Thompson, MT-BC (Music Therapist, Board Certified), emphasizes “Ever since the beginning 15 years ago, music therapy has been a part of Seasons. It is something that really defines us and sets us apart from other hospice companies.”

Care Consultant Rita Solomon adds, “Some hospices say they provide music therapy but in reality they are just bringing in a person to play music. Our music therapists are board certified clinicians who are trained to use music to help with a whole host of things, including shortness of breath, agitation, pain, depression.”

“Hospice is an additional layer of care for when someone is reaching the end of life,” continues Solomon. “Our goal is to partner and create good relationships with the nursing homes we work with to provide the very best care, so everybody is on the same page.”

 A team with a medical director, primary care physician, a social worker who is an expert on financial issues that can help and support the family, the music therapist, volunteers (who assist with pet therapy, yoga and other activities) and spiritual counselors, are all included in Seasons Hospice services. “That’s the extra care patients get,” says Solomon, “and in 90 percent of the cases, Medicare covers all the costs for hospice care.”

Thompson travels to work with Seasons’ clients at Dreier’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Glendale and other facilities. “We have three offices in Southern California and each office has a full-time music therapist. We are California’s only internship site for music therapists and I currently am working with one intern. A high level of professional care and attention is very important to Seasons. We employ only those who complete a degree program in music therapy and a six-month field internship, and who have passed a certification exam.”

Music therapy is not a hospice requirement as far as Medicare is concerned. “Seasons has really stepped it up by choosing to put money toward that,” says Thompson. “Every hospice patient receives the same daily rate, but we allocate it a little differently and add that extra service.”

What are the successes Thompson has seen with music therapy? “We have very supportive team members, but sometimes it is hard for patients to accept them, because they don’t know the people and the setting is unfamiliar. Music is very non-threatening, so it really helps with getting in the door and starting the care process. Patients are open to it.”

Hospice Nurse Rena Sutton says, “A lot of our patients are on a lot of medications, and music really helps to relax them and help them deal with breathing problems, anxiety, and pain. When there is a crisis and we are waiting for medication to kick in, listening to music helps calm and soothe the patients.” Sutton, whose role is to assess results of patients’ care programs, is very pleased with the music therapy sessions: “I see patients more comfortable than they used to be.”

Dreier’s, which just held a “graduation ceremony” for its second hospice patient to progress up to regular care, decided to offer the service recently through a cooperative agreement with Seasons, an arrangement which is working well for both. “In an effort to provide the best care for its patients, Dreier’s uses us as a preferred hospice provider,” says Sutton.

Seasons Hospice provides the music therapy, the emotional support, the chaplain, all of the things they say they will do,” says Dreier’s Administrator John Haedrich. “Some other hospices will sign someone up, drop them into a nursing home, and rely on the home to provide all the services.”

“Dreier’s is a small, 53-bed facility. I live on-site, so I’m able to make things happen. Our focus is to improve patients’ quality of life, and rehabilitation is our bread and butter. We have to offer a broad spectrum of care, and we do it to meet the needs of the community.”

“Our mission is not necessarily to have people remain here long-term,” concludes Haedrich. “We want to send rehab patients back home or to assisted living, because that’s where they have a higher quality of life. We’ve had people graduate from hospice and improve, and we are in a unique position with Seasons Hospice to fill that niche.”

 For information visit: www.nursing-care.com.