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Reminder Assistant Editor LONGMEADOW The soundtrack of a peaceful death is plucked from the strings of Donalyn Gross' harp. Gross, a death and dying councilor for 29 years and a professional musician for even longer, is now the official harpist for Jewish Geriatric Services (JGS) in their new grant program to provide therapeutic harp music to patients during the last hours of their life. "When someone is actively dying, I am called or paged by the chaplin to come and play," Gross explained. "The families love it and the staff loves it. It's wonderful and it makes the atmosphere very peaceful and comfortable." JGS recieved the grant in the fall of 2006 and already, Chief Operating Officer Linda Donahue said that it has been so successful she is sure they will apply again. The $5000 grant was awarded by the Albert E. and Lillian M. Marceau foundation for the terminally ill and founded by the musician son of its namesakes. "We've always had a big focus on trying to make it an individual and personal experience for every resident," Donahue said. "Whether that means getting our pastoral care director involved, bringing family members in or maintaining a vigil so that no one is ever alone during the death." Gross gets the call to perform during the stage of "active death," she said. Nurses recognize when the patient enters this stage by unawareness, irregular breathing and system failure. Families are then offered Gross' services for the stint of about 45 minutes. No one has turned the offer down yet, Gross said. Music played for the dying, harp music in particular, is said to have powerful effects beyond providing soothing background noise. "As we understand it, there are a growing number of practitioners that are saying that there is a really benefit in bringing in therapeutic music," explained Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, director of pastoral care. Gross listed the scientifically proven effects as lowering heart rates, making breathing easier and even decreasing pain levels. Most important of these, she said, is the sense of calmness, dignity and peace it can bring to someone's last moments. As musical therapy gains popularity, an industry-wide protocol is being developed to train and guide these transition musicians. Gross became a certified music practitioner five years ago when she took a course offered in many cities around the country on the art of playing harp for the dying. Just as she was trained to do, Gross uses a 10 pound therapy harp made with just 23 strings. She plays her own improv songs to rhythms that accompany the patient's breathing pattern. "You don't want to play recognizable songs because you don't want to bring that person back," Gross said of her training. "You want to help them go out gently." Gross said that the harp adapts easiest to these situations because it is traditionally associated with angels and heaven. Although, she added, an associate of hers plays American Indian music with a wooden flute and is very popular in the same situations. "We want to make the person as comfortable as possible at the end," Gross said. "A lot of times you can have a roommate watching baseball on TV in the next bed and announcements going over the PA system; this helps them to go out peacefully and comfortably. We're hoping other nursing homes and hospitals will start more programs like this." This service is available for all Jewish Geriatric Services patients including the Julian J. Leavitt Family Jewish Nursing Home, Spectrum Home Health Care and Ruth's House assisted living residence. For more information please call 567-6211. Donalyn Gross also offers her service privately in homes and at several local nursing homes and hospices. She can be contacted through her web site at www.goodendings.net. | ||||||
