The STAR Center Inc

The STAR Center

For the past 32 years, The STAR Center has been standing in the gap for individuals with disabilities. Our mission is to help any person with any disability realize their potential. For A Community Thrives with Mightcause, we'd like to extend the bridge to include those facing end of life and the grief thereafter. For the purposes of A Community Thrives with Mightcause, we'd like to extend the bridge to include those facing end of life and the grief thereafter. 

Music Therapy for Hospice

Every person is unique and should be treated as such. The approach and goals for this project, Music Therapy for Hospice, will be driven by each patient and those surrounding them. Some of the general goals will include physical relaxation, emotional connections, and spiritual support. 

This project will serve as a complement to long-standing reputable hospice providers. The goal is to better serve patients, families, and caregivers in a more holistic approach to end of life care. In addition, family needs extend past their loved one's end of life. Bereavement combined with the healing power of music will serve to mend the wounds of physical separation. 

“Music passes into our limbic system, which is where our emotions lie,” said Russell Hilliard, the first hospice music therapist in the United States. Hilliard continues his work with dying patients and their families to fashion sessions aimed at reducing pain and anxiety. 

Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. This project will allow collaboration with board-certified music therapists and long-standing hospice providers in the region.