Thu April 25, 2024, 10:28 am
DRAGON – Nij Smellinghe Hospital and ZuidOostZorg have started a musical pilot in the Intensive Care and Neurology department of the hospital. What can music therapy do for people who have had a cerebral infarction, for example? Can music remove anxiety and tension? Can we use it clinically? “Music is sometimes the only way to reach someone.”
“Music runs very deep,” says Eline van der Veen. “It is there at important moments in life: when people have their first love, when they lose a loved one, or when they are alone. It is always there. We can use it in different ways in care and treatment. .” Van der Veen is a music therapist at ZuidOostZorg, where music therapy has been part of the care and treatment for some time.
Because people often stay in hospital for a short time, it is important to start music therapy in that most vulnerable phase. “Sometimes there are no words available, but by using music and sounds we can see what people respond to,” she says .
How does someone react when the music ends on an ‘open note’, without a clear conclusion? Are you able to tap along to the music? With one hand? Or with two?” How patients respond says something about the processing of music in the brain, Van der Veen explains. “We observe and see what we can use in further treatment.
For example, we can use music therapy to train attention, if necessary, so that they can also pay better attention to other therapies. Or we provoke words, for example by singing ‘In Holland there is a…’. It can help people relearn how to talk and express themselves. That is very important for them personally and it contributes to better care and treatment.”
The power of music is to reach people
Erik Smit sees Van der Veen’s great commitment to the patients she visits. Smit is team manager at Nij Smellinghe’s ICU. “For example, Eline listens to what patients hear during the day. Think of beeps and other sounds from equipment. She then merges the music with these sounds.”
Smit is enthusiastic about applying music therapy in the ICU. Anxiety and feelings of discomfort are often present in patients in the ICU and are usually treated with painkillers. We know that music can have a calming effect and provide comfort to patients. That is why music therapy can be a good alternative.”
Making a difference throughout the entire chain
Although the use of music therapy in Nij Smellinghe is a pilot, Van der Veen sees great added value for the future: “If we can already reach people in the hospital with music therapy, we can build on this later in the treatment.
For example, if they need to recuperate after a hospital admission, we can support the care and treatment throughout the recovery process with the insights we have previously gained. And maybe with that one note we will make a difference for life.”
Music Committee and the Friends of Nij Smellinghe
The idea to apply music therapy within Nij Smellinghe arose within the hospital’s music committee. The pilot in the ICU and the Neurology department is made possible by a gift of €5,000 from the Friends of Nij Smellinghe.
