The role of the music therapist on the hospice/palliative care team.

Music therapists make significant contributions to the multidisciplinary hospice team in its efforts to provide holistic palliative care to terminally ill patients and family members and to promote quality of life. The role of a hospice music therapist is described, including providing direct patient music therapy service, training the hospice team in music therapy, developing and maintaining a music therapy resource centre, and offering bereavement services. A review of patient charts provides information about patient age, sex, diagnosis, and source and reasons for referral.