Laura Long, Account Executive, HSF Health Plan, presenting €13,000 to Claire Meaney, Director of Waterford Healing Arts & Réalta, with Liam Merriman, Liam Kavanagh, and Eoin O’Meachair, Healing Sounds musicians.
Healthcare Through Art: Waterford Healing Arts
Waterford Healing Arts is Ireland’s leading arts and health programme, based at University Hospital Waterford which is the biggest hospital in the southeast region. The charity was founded by Dr Abdul Bulbulia, who had a huge interest in the arts and thought the idea of enhancing the hospital environment through the use of the visual arts would be beneficial.
Harmony in Music: The Healing Sounds Programme
The Healing Sounds Programme brings live music to the bedsides of patients that are not able to enjoy these luxuries anymore due to their conditions.
The Healing Sounds Programme runs 3 sessions every week at the hospital, particularly in eldercare, renal dialysis, palliative care, and the paediatric wards where patients are undergoing intense treatments or are at end of life.
Waterford Healing Arts have 5 professional musicians which they are hoping to increase to 7 and they play a variety of instruments. The musicians find out a little about each patient and the type of music they like and then provide a personalised 1 to 1 session with each patient.
Music Remedies: Impact Testimonials
Here are some impact testimonials of The Healing Sounds Programme:
- “It meant the world to us to see dad so happy and singing along to the music. It enabled us to make some wonderful memories during dad’s final weeks and for that we are eternally grateful”. – Family member of a patient in the South East Palliative Care Centre, UHW.
- “It brings a normality to a lot of patients who are in hospital for long periods and brings them relief both socially and psychologically… the benefits of being “normal” for a short space of time greatly aids the mood and recovery of patients on Medical 4.” – Adrian Crellin, CNM2, Medical 4, UHW.
Healing Through Music: The €13,000 Grant
The Hospital Saturday Fund presented a grant of €13,000 to the Waterford Healing Arts. This grant will allow Waterford Healing Arts to continue its remarkable service of bringing music to the lives of people who are going through difficult times.
Music plays a significant role in everyone’s life and the Waterford Healing Arts’ aims to provide this service to the patients who are in need. With the help of The Hospital Saturday Fund they can sustain and expand their service to continue bringing joy and comfort to patients in the long run.
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