Comfort for the homebound, ill and suffering.
Harp Instead now partners with Passages Hospice.If you are a Passages Hospice patient you should make your requests through Passages and not with me directly.
Why Angels Play Harps: a blog about therapeutic use of harp music
LISTEN
to Promises from Pleasantries & Diversions (low quality mono mp3)
Looking for a way to bring music to residents in assisted living or nursing care?
Consider the soothing effect of a private visit by a Harp Instead musician.
Harp Instead Stories: personal reflections on the healing impact of music
Barbara Fackler, harpist
630-665-6098
click on album cover for more info about this CD of solo harp music and for demo sound files (mp3)
Harp Instead Program
Harp Instead provides two services: Private Visits and Concerts of Comfort.
Private Visits:
Harp music with its resonant and gentle qualities provides far more benefit than candy, cards or flowers. The
comforting, soothing and caring effects of music lingers for days in
memories.
Private visits are made by appointment (subject to approval by the facility management when appropriate). In general, Harp Instead visits are best during normal visiting hours.
Harp music with its resonant and gentle qualities provides far more benefit than candy, cards or flowers. The
comforting, soothing and caring effects of music lingers for days in
memories.Private visits are made by appointment (subject to approval by the facility management when appropriate). In general, Harp Instead visits are best during normal visiting hours.
Visits last for 30 minutes.The
harp is played next to the
recipient.
Music is tailored to the
recipient.
Close friends and family are
welcome to attend the performance.
Gift cards are available.
Currently available only in
Dupage County, Illinois.Practical uses:
The therapeutic effects of harp music are noninvasive, free of negative side effects and completely personal:
Music reaches a
person beyond the influence of drug
therapies.
Personalization
of the music can aid recollection of pleasant memories while providing
diversion and relaxation for the recipient. Music offers
therapy
that is complementary to therapies offered by conventional medicine. Private
visits can be used to bring life enhancement services to residents of
assisted living and nursing units who do not participate in group
programs. Click here
for information on creative and affordable ways to include Harp Instead
in your programming schedule and meet the needs of more of your
residents. Since pain is a subjective experience, unique treatments like a Harp Instead performance provides a solution found no place else! Through its caring and personal approach, Harp Instead makes the recipient feel special. Personalized visits alieviate feelings of lonliness, boredom and anxiety.
2
Page Color
Brochure (PDF) 928
KB
1 Page Black and White Brochure (PDF) 144 KB
1 Page Black and White Brochure (PDF) 144 KB
It's
much faster to browse
PDF files online
if you don't have to download
them first. If you have a Mac and use Safari, you already know how
handy this can be. Here's some
tips that might make this possible
for you if this feature isn't already enabled on your computer.
Concerts of Comfort:
Concerts of Comfort provide valuable time off for family members and caregivers. Concerts are scheduled by a hospital or nursing home at their facility, providing an opportunity for patients, family, caregivers and facility staff to enjoy live harp music in an informal and convenient setting. Concerts of Comfort offer the same benefit as a private visit from Harp Instead in a setting that allows groups to gather.
Call
for information on the next scheduled concert. Music
requests are welcome.
Participation is flexible and meets the schedule requirements
of the audience.
To offer a place of refuge from illness and suffering for patients, their families and caregivers, including on site staff.
Benefits:
Relaxation, lessening of stress levels and respite are a few of the benefits of a Concert of Comfort. Those who attend a concert will find they are better able to cope with their situation. Music has been shown to reduce pain perception, alter blood pressure and respiration, ameliorate chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and improve mood, all with no adverse side effects. Lingering benefits continue with the memory of the music.
Format:
Concerts of Comfort are informal. Attendees come and go at will, allowing participation to be flexible. Concerts may be formed spontaneously by allowing attendees to make requests on the spot, or more formally programmed around a specific genre of music. There is no dress code, allowing residents to attend as they are without embarrassment.
Place(s):
Concerts take place in hospitals, nursing facilities, rehab centers, churches, and other publicly accessible venues. Lobbies, cafeterias and meeting rooms all provide space suitable for Comfort Concerts. On rare occasions, concerts may be scheduled in a more private private setting. Contact your local health care facility to find out if they offer a Concert of Comfort.
Duration:
One to two hours is the average length of a Concert of Comfort. This allows a large block of time during which patients and their guests and staff can find time to attend all or part of the concert. Duration of attendance is left to the discretion of each audience member.
How to Schedule a Harp Instead Visit
Research support
References and repertoire list
