Music has the power to soothe the soul.
It’s a therapy that’s used in all areas of the health service to distract, reduce
stress and create a sense of familiarity in an otherwise clinical environment.
Determined to spread the joy of
music far and wide, Wishlist has helped to fund music therapy for palliative
care patients at Dove Cottage, a piano for the people at the Sunshine Coast
University Hospital (SCUH) and most recently, music equipment for mental health
units across the Coast.
Mp3 players, headphones and music vouchers have been purchased to provide valuable music therapy funding for Adolescent, Adult and Acute Mental Health Units at SCUH and Nambour Hospitals as part of the ‘Music Soothes the Soul’ project.
The project allows patients to
bring a little piece of home with them to hospital, by listening to their own
music.
In wards with constant noise from
the opening and closing of doors and the beeping of access cards, music serves
as a form of distraction and entertainment for the clients.
According to staff in the Acute
Mental Health Unit at SCUH, the power of music is evident in the way it can minimise
the impact of auditory hallucinations and decrease boredom and frustration,
therefore, creating a more peaceful environment.
Not only can it improve a client’s
experience within a ward, it can also help them resume their personal life
quicker – with the distraction and entertainment proven to decrease stress and,
in turn, improve recovery rates.
Used as a calming resource, the
music can also reduce the need for sedating medications, which can have significant
side effects.
With Queensland Mental Health Week upon
us, there has never been a better time to highlight the profound benefits of musical
equipment.
Staff in the Acute Mental Health Unit
said the headphones have been extremely well received among patients. Patients particularly
appreciated the headphones’ ability block out background noise as well provide
a welcomed distraction with music.
Patients with their own music on
hand have enjoyed having the familiarity of their favourite tunes.
In 2018, Wishlist, thanks to the Honda Foundation grants program also provided $1483 in funding for a therapeutic drumming program in Mental Health Units at SCUH and Nambour Hospital.
