Comfort for the homebound, ill and suffering.
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.
For a limited time, visits on Sundays in and near Wheaton, IL are free of charge.
(subject to availability, no advance bookings accepted for Sundays)
Click here to listen.
Barbara Fackler, harpist
630-665-6098
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.
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.
Purpose:
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
= 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.
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.
Purpose:
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
