Assessing complementary therapy services in a hospice program

Abstract

Increasing numbers of people have been supplementing their health care needs with complementary therapies. Complementary therapies have been used to promote health and treat patients with a variety of ailments. Types of complementary therapies used with terminally ill patients have included massage, therapeutic touch, Reiki, art and music therapy, aromatherapy, and hypnotherapy. The purpose of this study was to survey primary caregivers (PCGs) regarding their perceptions and satisfaction with a hospice complementary therapy program. Perhaps this study’s most interesting finding is that patients who received complementary therapies were generally more satisfied with overall hospice services.