The Top 5 Reasons to Advocate for a Sophie’s Place in Your Local Children’s Hospital
It’s easy to see that having a dedicated music therapy clinic in your local children’s hospital could improve patient’s lives, but…how? Let’s take a look at a few reasons Sophie’s Place spaces are making a difference in the hospitals they are located in!
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1.) Having a Sophie’s Place can make music therapy more accessible to patients in the hospital.
Music therapy may sound like it is a fun and relaxing treatment, which it often is. However, many don’t know about the physical benefits of music therapy that are backed by science! When hospital patients have access to music therapy they are shown to experience improvements in motor skills, breathing, heart rate, pain management, and so much more. When a Sophie’s Place is put in a hospital, we always make sure that there is an established music therapy program in the hospital so that these patients can experience these significant benefits.
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2.) Sophie’s Place can create a space that feels “safe” for children in the hospital.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you step into a Sophie’s Place is that it doesn’t feel like a hospital room! Sophie’s Place spaces include bright colors, fun instruments, and are noticeably devoid of medical equipment. This is a space where hospital patients can escape for a while and get to be a kid again.
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3.) Sophie’s Place can make fun programming more accessible in the hospital.
Unfortunately, not all patients can leave their hospital rooms for a myriad of reasons. However, Sophie’s Place can often bring the fun to them! Music therapists in our Sophie’s Places often host programming- like “Name That Tune”- within the space and stream it directly to hospital rooms. Musicians and other performers can also come and share their talents within the space and be streamed throughout the hospital!
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4.) These rooms can be a great space for staff support.
Working in a hospital is important and often tiring work that can come with heavy emotions. Music therapy can offer meaningful support to these essential workers. Music therapists in the space can host staff support programming in Sophie’s Place spaces! This may look like karaoke, song sharing, drumming groups, and so much more. One of our Sophie’s Place locations hosts a weekly “self care jam” in which any hospital staff can join in and take some time to stretch their creative muscles, unwind, and refill their proverbial cup.
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5.) Having a Sophie’s Place can improve the hospital experience, not only for patients, but for their families as well.
Sophie’s Place spaces are a perfect place for patients and their families to make lasting, positive memories during a trying time. Families and other friends and guardians can join in on music therapy sessions and find a healthy way to interact with their hospitalized friend or child. Sophie’s Place spaces include a recording studio where patients can write and record songs for their families. The families can, in turn, write and record music for these patients that can be a strength to them throughout their stay. Sadly, not every patient survives their hospital stay - but these songs can mean everything to the families and friends of the child they lost.
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Our dream is to make dedicated music therapy spaces the norm across the nation and you would be surprised what one individual can do to make this possible in their own community. The Sophie’s Place at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital exists because a young man made it his eagle scout project to advocate for it. Sophie’s Place itself exists because Sophie Barton decided to become a music volunteer and use her gift to touch the lives of hospitalized children. If we work together in our own communities and advocate for hospital access to music therapy- and a dedicated space intended for it- we believe this dream can become a reality.
Please reach out to sophiesplace@foreveryoung.org if you would like to learn how to advocate for a Sophie’s Place near you.
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