Impact of Environment and Milieu Therapy in Palliative Care

Abstract

The collaborative approach offered by palliative care benefits both patients and their caregivers. They provide a system of support that enables patients to lead as active a life as possible. This integrative review aimed to find out whether milieu and environment therapy has a significant impact on palliative care patients. Analyses and summaries of seventeen (17) papers were completed. There were three themes identified: environmental factors for quality of life, milieu therapy in forms of arts and music, and milieu therapy is safe, structured, and psychotherapeutic. This review demonstrates that milieu and environment therapy may also help to reduce physical symptoms, such as pain, and enhance quality of life. The study suggests that even if there are many interventions for palliative patients, more research is needed to generate a more thorough evaluation of the efficacy of various environmental control components and milieu therapies for palliative care patients.