A music therapy program proposal for pediatric palliative care in hospice

Abstract

The purpose of this proposal is to provide a framework for Hudson Valley Hospice to add music therapy as a treatment option for the children and adolescents they serve. Pediatric palliative care is a rapidly expanding field in American healthcare (Hildenbrand et al., 2021 ). The majority of pediatric palliative care programs in the United States do not meet practice standards set forth by The American Academy of Pediatrics. This means current pediatric palliative care programs are not providing patients and families with 24-hour availability and staffing that includes physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains (Rogers et al., 2021). Additionally, the lack of clinical units, funding, and the field's ever-changing nature have a negative impact on pediatric palliative patients' and their families' care needs.