Conducted By
In 2005 a partnership was formed between Deakin University School of Nursing and St John Of God Hospital was made possible through funding from the Kings Australia scholarship. Peter Roberts was employed in order to evaluate his work and the impact the approach of music-thanatology made within the palliative care wards of the hospital. It followed the lives of six terminally ill patients until their eventual death (one patient is still enjoying his life to this date beyond his 4 month prognosis).

The Study
Over an eight month period the study recorded interviews with patients, family members and loved ones, nursing and pastoral care staff and also Peter’s observations and reflections as the music-thanatologist. The 90 page report Relief of suffering at end of life: Report fom and Australian project to implement and evaluate a live harp music-thantology program was published in January 2006. This study was a world first and invitations to present its finding have come from across Australia, Canada, and the United States including the “Mayo Spiritual Care Research Conference” at the prestigious Mayo Clinic Rochester MN.

Outcomes
In brief the report concluded that Peter Roberts’ work as a Music-thanatologist “made a profound difference to the way people and their families experienced the end-of –life journey” .It described how he took away anguish and stress and removed the sense of isolation and fear of those who were dying. Peter was described in an old Celtic term as the Anam Cara, or soul friend, who provided companionship at a time when family and carers found it difficult to be present. The atmosphere in the patient’s sometimes busy, noisy rooms in most instances became quiet and peaceful. In most cases also the breathing moved from high chest to lower abdominal breathing indicating an deepened more relaxed and eased quality of breath. Half the patients experiences changes in their agitation states. Except in one case the music “seemed to create an atmosphere where relationships were deepened”* (One family member left the room for she was not ready for her mother to die). The report goes on to describe the combination of the music and Peter’s presence as an integral part of that which is offered…

“It is not only the music, it is the prescriptive nature of the music that makes it powerful and it is the presence of the musician that adds to depth of compassion, the genuine presence that with the music and the prescriptiveness creates the safe environment of reverence, peace and tranquility for people to do their own work of unbinding and leave-taking”*… “Its importance is immeasurable”*

* Emeritus Professor Dr Helen Cox Relief of suffering at the end of life: Report from an Australian project to implement and evaluate a live harp music-thanatology research project.