There’s something sacred about the space that forms near the end of life. It’s a space filled with deep love, reflection, and sometimes, quiet heaviness. Families gather. Time slows. Emotions swell. And in this space, music can do something both incredibly simple and incredibly powerful, it can hold us.
As a music therapist in hospice care, I’ve had the honor of sitting beside many patients and families. Sometimes the music is soft and soothing, other times it’s vibrant and full of laughter and memories. Sometimes it’s a favorite song from childhood. Sometimes it’s just gentle humming when words are too much. Music meets people exactly where they are. It helps people feel, without needing to explain.
While music in hospice care may seem purely emotional, its impact reaches far beyond that. It can support the whole person, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, and extend care to family and loved ones as well.
🧠 Physiological Needs: Comforting the Body
One of music therapy’s most immediate roles is helping to manage pain, agitation, and anxiety. Research has shown that live music, particularly when tailored to the individual’s preferences and rhythms, can ease discomfort by slowing the heart rate, reducing muscle tension, and calming the nervous system.
For patients who may not be able to tolerate conversation or physical interventions, music offers a non-invasive, compassionate tool that requires nothing in return. A gentle guitar, a favorite lullaby, or even a simple rhythm can help regulate breathing and ease transitions, including at end-of-life.
💬 Psychological Needs: Supporting Identity and Emotion
Hospice music therapy also provides space for emotional expression, connection, and control. For many individuals nearing the end of life, there’s a loss of independence and routine. Music therapy can offer a sense of agency, patients can choose the songs, sing along, reflect, or simply listen.
Creating music or hearing songs from one’s past can evoke meaningful memories, enhance self-esteem, and foster a feeling of normalcy. When everything else is changing, music can remind someone of who they are, and who they’ve always been. In moments of fear or sadness, music becomes a safe place for emotion to rise and be held.
🧠 Cognitive Needs: Inviting Awareness and Connection
Even in the face of cognitive decline or disorientation, music can offer grounding. It has a unique way of connecting to long-term memory, helping patients become more aware of their environment or reconnect to a sense of time and place.
For those who struggle with speech, music opens alternate pathways for self-expression, through singing, drumming, or simply choosing songs that speak to them. For individuals with dementia or confusion, familiar tunes can be a lifeline back to clarity, even if just for a moment.
🌿 Spiritual Needs: Honoring the Sacred
In the final stages of life, spiritual support can become even more important. Music therapy allows for creative rituals, blessings, and moments of reflection, whether religious or simply deeply personal.
Music offers comfort for those facing anticipatory grief, helping both patients and families explore meaning, legacy, and connection. A favorite hymn, a song played at a wedding, a melody tied to a special moment all become part of saying goodbye with intentionality and peace.
🤝 Caregiver Needs: Holding the Family, Too
Hospice care is never just about the patient. It’s about the family, the caregivers, the loved ones gathered close. Music therapy often includes them in the process, offering a shared space for grieving, reminiscing, and emotional support.
Whether through co-writing a goodbye song, singing as a group, or just sitting in stillness together, music becomes a companion not only to the one who is dying, but also to those preparing for life after loss. Caregivers often tell us that music gave them a rare moment to breathe, to cry, to feel comforted. Sometimes, it helps families say what words can’t.
🎶 An Invitation
Hospice music therapy is more than a service, it’s a form of presence. It doesn’t rush, or fix, or force anything. It simply enters the room with compassion and care, and helps bring peace into whatever space it finds.
If you or a loved one are receiving hospice care, you can ask your hospice agency if music therapy visits are available. Some agencies have music therapists on staff, while others may be able to coordinate services through partnerships. Asking for it can open a door to comfort and connection you may not have known was possible.
As music therapists, we are continually humbled by the trust families place in us. To be invited into this part of the journey is something we never take for granted. It is a deep, enduring honor.
Learn more about Mainstay’s hospice care program here.