Support Services

Comfort Therapy Program

Comfort therapies are available at the Richard C. Ostenson Cancer Center / Ambulatory Treatment Center or appointments can be scheduled in the privacy of your home. Sponsored by Good Samaritan/Multicare.

 

WHAT ARE COMFORT THERAPIES?

Comfort therapies, also called "complementary" or "adjunct" therapies, are non-medical, non-invasive approaches to providing comfort that work side by side with conventional medical care. Their use in medical environments is growing and research has shown them to be effective tools for increasing comfort and personal wellness. We are pleased to offer them to clients of the Cancer Center or Ambulatory Treatment Unit, as well as to staff or even family members/friends accompanying patients to their appointments.

 

HOW DO COMFORT THERAPIES HELP?

Each person experiences unique results from comfort therapies. Comfort therapies have the potential to:

  • Increase relaxation
  • Decrease pain and suffering
  • Help improve sleep
  • Enhance energy and awareness
  • Reduce anxiety and stress
  • Reduce nausea and vomiting
  • Reduce itching
  • Increase a sense of well-being and quality of life
  • Increase comfort

 

WHAT COMFORT THERAPIES ARE AVAILABLE?

    Good Samaritan offers access to five different comfort therapies at the Cancer Center/ATU facility. All of our practitioners are appropriately accredited and licensed and have extensive experience that includes work with medically fragile patients. The therapy options are:
  • Aromatherapy
  • Massage
  • Music
  • Pet Therapy
  • Reiki (also known as healing touch)

 

Display Comfort Therapy Definitions

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is an established medical practice throughout Europe and is being used increasingly in medical establishments in the United States. Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils distilled from plants; these oils are then either inhaled or rubbed on the skin to produce therapeutic effects such as reducing nausea, anxiety, depression, itching and pain; improving memory and mental clarity; and eliminating odor problems by literally digesting bad odors. Because Good Samaritan is a scent-free facility, our on-site aromatherapy services are limited to consultation meetings only, from which the practitioner can develop appropriate aromatherapy products for the client's use in his or her own home.

Massage

Massage therapy involves gentle pressure, rubbing and otherwise manipulating muscles and other soft tissues of the body, causing them to relax and lengthen and allowing pain-relieving oxygen and blood to flow to the affected area. Massage can promote relaxation of the body and mind, thus decreasing pain, stress and discomfort. Massage can be as gentle as appropriate for a patient's comfort. A private therapy room with massage table is available to allow on-site services at the Cancer Center/ATU.

Music

Music can be very soothing and beneficial for patients. It helps both emotionally and physically by decreasing pain, reducing anxiety, improving awareness, and promoting sleep. Live music is played at the patient's bedside, home, or medical establishment. Our music practitioners are trained to provide "prescriptive" music, specifically tailored to the needs and situation of the individual client. As such, it might best be provided in the client's personal environment. However, sessions in the treatment room could also be arranged.

Pet Therapy

Pets have been shown to reduce blood pressure, depression and anxiety, and to increase socialization and a sense of well-being. Nursing homes routinely have resident pets for their patients. Good Samaritan offers pet therapy in the hospital and rehab as well as through our Hospice program. These therapists and their animals are trained through a variety of organizations. One of our pet therapists visits the Cancer Center/ATU on a weekly basis.

Reiki

Reiki is a soothing, gentle hands-on treatment that operates under the same principles as acupuncture, but uses light touch rather than needles. It helps balance and restore the body's energy system. During a Reiki treatment, the therapist gently touches the patient around the head, trunk, and extremities. Patients are not asked to disrobe, and can be treated at the bedside, in a chair, or on a massage table. Following a Reiki treatment, patients can feel more relaxed, a greater sense of well-being, increased energy, mental clarity, and reduced pain and stress. The private therapy room on site is also available for Reiki treatments.

 

HOW ARE THE SESSIONS PAID FOR?

Payment for a comfort therapy visit is on a private pay basis, due from the client at the end of the treatment session. Massage is the only comfort therapy sometimes covered by an individual's health insurance program. Any arrangements for billing insurance companies must be made in advance with the massage therapist. Not all massage therapists accept insurance payments. Gift certificates may be purchased at the Resource Center.

 

HOW LONG DOES A SESSION LAST?

On-site sessions at the Cancer Center/ATU can be arranged in half hour or one hour increments. In-home visits are a minimum of one hour.

 

HOW DO I ARRANGE FOR A COMFORT THERAPY SESSION?

On-site appointments for massage, Reiki, aromatherapy consultations, and individual music sessions  in the treatment room must be scheduled in advance and are coordinated by the staff in the Resource Center on the ground level of the Cancer Center/ATU. You may schedule by stopping by the Resource Center or by phoning 253-697-4899. Individual pet therapy visits are not currently being scheduled on-site since the practitioner visits there weekly.

 

If you wish to arrange a private, in-home session of any of the comfort therapies, contact Good Samaritan Hospice at 253-697-7132. In addition to the offerings outlined above, aromatherapy can be combined with massage when given in the home. If you are a patient at the Richard C. Ostenson Cancer Center, please discuss your comfort therapy plans with your doctor prior to scheduling an appointment.