Programs

Cultural Liaison Initiative

Pathway’s Cultural Liaison Initiative began as an outreach to the Hispanic community and is growing into an outreach program dedicated to the entire multicultural community. Cultural Liaisons provide a deeper understanding of the perspectives and needs of hospice patients by following a family from the first Hospice Education Consultation until the end of the Bereavement Period.

They are not just “translators,” but something far more holistic.

Cultural Liaisons ensure that our Interdisciplinary Team understands the impact of culture on our patients’ care. The Liaison provides a touchpoint for the family 24 hours a day, from the first introduction until they are ready to transition from our services.

Desired Outcomes for the Cultural Liaison Program include:

• Individualized, culturally-sensitive care for our patients and families throughout the end-of-life journey
• Optimized communication with families, designed to identify and meet ongoing needs from their unique perspectives
• An accessible, dedicated point-of-contact with true fluency in the patient’s native language and culture
• Reduced hospitalizations, improved symptom management, and better outcomes for patients and families

LGBT Hospice Care Initiative

At Pathway Hospice, we are developing a program to address the needs and concerns of the LGBT community and want to be known as an LGBT-affirming service provider. Our team of medical directors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, home health aids, liaisons, administrative staff, and volunteers will be provided training to familiarize and educate themselves regarding LGBT issues in order to provide the entire North Texas community with competent and respectful care. We are strategizing with SAGE (Support and Advocacy for LGBT Elders) and their training program.

Jewish Cultural Liasion

As part of our multicultural outreach program, Cantor Don Alan Croll has joined our staff to better serve our Jewish community.

A cantor in the Reform Jewish movement is a clergy member who fills a diverse role within the Jewish community. Cantors lead worship, officiate at lifecycle events, teach adults and children, run synagogue music programs, and offer pastoral care. Cantors typically serve along with other clergy members, usually rabbis and occasionally additional cantors, in partnership to lead synagogue communities.

The Reform cantor is a professional office with a prescribed educational path and professional organization. Cantors are ordained at the conclusion of study which confers the status of clergy as it does for rabbis.

The education required to become an ordained cantor is a masters degree in Sacred Music, a five-year course of study that requires one year in Jerusalem and one in New York. Cantor Croll is the cantor emeritus of Temple Shalom in Dallas and has been a member of the American Conference of Cantors for over 40 years. He has also served congregations in New York, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque.

What is music therapy?

The purpose and function of music therapy extend far beyond simple entertainment or background music. It is the clinical and evidence-based use of structured music interventions by a board-certified music therapist. In hospice care, music is utilized as a therapeutic tool to address the unique needs of those nearing the end of life, addressing not only physical symptoms but also emotional, social, and spiritual aspects. It assesses an individual’s strengths and needs to develop a personalized music experience. Their customized treatment plan may incorporate activities such as:

• Creating and improvisation
• Singing
• Moving to music
• Guided imagery and story writing
• moving to, or listening to live, patient-preferred music within individual, group, or family sessions

Why music therapy for hospice care?

People of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities may gain therapeutic benefits through music therapy, because music enhances brain function, and is inherently non-threatening and enjoyable. For an individual in hospice, integrating music therapy with other healing efforts to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs promotes comfort, emotional expression, relaxation, and pain management, serving as an integral part of holistic palliative care. It offers non-verbal ways for patients to connect, reflect, and find solace.

Who can benefit from hospice/palliative music therapy?

Music therapy provides the most benefits to patients who:

• Lack sensory stimulation or social engagement, causing a sense of isolation
• Feel anxious, or are affected by Alzheimer’s/dementia
• Experience extreme pain or other symptoms not easily controlled by other interventions
• Enjoy and appreciate music as a means to enhance quality of life
• Require spiritual support
• Struggle with communication or expression of thoughts and feelings

What techniques do music therapy use in hospice/palliative care?

Music therapists utilize the power of music to provide emotional, physical, and psychological support to patients in need, customizing music experiences to address the specific needs and preferences of each individual. Music therapy interventions may include:

• Lyric analysis
• Music assisted relaxation
• instrumental improvisation
• Active listening to live or recorded music meaningful to the patient
• Songwriting/composition/song parody

These techniques can help patients express their feelings, manage pain, improve fine motor skills, and cope with unspoken emotions. By creating a comforting and supportive environment, music therapists enhance the quality of life for hospice patients and offer a unique form of therapeutic care.