Being in tune with life: complementary therapy use and well-being in residential hospice residents

Complementary therapies are commonly used by the public. Increasingly, complementary therapies are being used in hospices for symptom management; however, little research is available on their effect on patient well-being.

This study explores experiences of 15 hospice residents who received complementary therapies and describes the hospice cultural patterns where complementary therapies were delivered.

Ethnography was used to guide data collection. Data were collected by participant observations, formal and informal interviews, and complementary therapy charts in a residential hospice during 9 months.

Three themes of experiencing complementary therapies, reconnecting to life through caring, and presence in relationship were uncovered during data analysis.

Study results suggest that presence may be more important to the patient's well-being than the physical responses of complementary therapies. Also, a caring culture may influence staff job satisfaction and retention.