January 29, 2025

Music Therapy Brings Comfort in Hospice Care

It’s a frigid January day in Norwalk, but Zelda Dyer feels a warm calm as she waits for EveryStep Hospice music therapist Aurora Navarro Cancel’s bi-weekly visit.

Receiving care from the EveryStep Hospice team in Des Moines in her home at Norwalk Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Zelda lights up when Aurora arrives. After asking about Zelda’s recent bout with pneumonia, Aurora hands her a binder. It contains the music and lyrics to the songs Zelda has chosen as her favorites — Aurora calls it the “legacy songbook project.”

Since Zelda enjoys country music, her songbook contains a lot of classics from artists like Tammy Wynette and George Jones. “We also have a collection of hymns and a few Christmas songs, too,” says Aurora. “What Zelda and my other patients want to hear varies from visit to visit. I typically ask what they need from me and we go from there. Sometimes all they need is to lie down and have me play a bunch of relaxing songs. Sometimes they like to sing with me, or they want to just talk. I’m here for an hour to give them what they need.”

Today, Zelda especially wants to hear hymns and after Aurora tunes her guitar, Zelda quietly sings along to selections like “Amazing Grace,” “In the Garden” and “The Old Rugged Cross.”

“I have been singing my whole life. I started performing in school choirs in middle school and have had a variety of solo and stage opportunities since college,” says Aurora, who graduated from the University of Iowa in 2024 with a bachelor’s in music therapy and is studying to become a board-certified music therapist. “I joined EveryStep because I developed a passion for hospice during my music therapy internship at a hospice company. I wanted to continue serving hospice patients while being closer to my family. It was hardly a question in my mind when I was offered the position!”

Research shows that music can help with pain management; acting as a distraction, it can provide short-term relief from pain. Music therapy can also enhance a patient’s mental health. If a patient is agitated, anxious or depressed, music can create a calming atmosphere and help them relax.

Growing up in Spring Hill about 7 miles south of Norwalk, Zelda was married for 64 years to her husband, Doug, who passed away in 2023 and many of the songs she requests from Aurora remind her of him.

“I love music,” says Zelda, whose daughter and granddaughter had come earlier to fix her hair and makeup. “I look forward to Aurora’s visits because I can request any song and if she doesn’t know one, she’ll learn it before she comes back again!”

“Well, I look forward to my visits with Miss Zelda, too,” replies Aurora. “It’s true. I do. She’s a sweet woman.”

EveryStep Hospice helps those living with a serious illness make the best of every day. EveryStep Hospice goes above and beyond by offering specialized services, like music therapy. Additional customized services include care and recognition for veterans, support for patients’ pets, Life Review recordings of patients talking about their lives and much more.

“The biggest thing I get out of being a music therapist with EveryStep is being able to help people during an incredibly difficult, vulnerable time in their lives,” says Aurora. “I love getting to know people, getting to hear their stories, and getting to be there for them. It is truly a rewarding job.”

With community-based teams in Centerville, Creston, Des Moines, Mount Ayr, Mount Pleasant, Osceola and Winterset, EveryStep Hospice offers compassion, dignity and empathy in every interaction. The local, professional hospice team provides exceptional care and support services when they matter most.

If you would like to learn more about EveryStep Hospice, click here. If you or someone you know is struggling to find the support they need, please contact EveryStep at 515-558-9946 or complete the commitment-free, confidential “Find Care” form. EveryStep staff will follow up with a phone call to answer your questions and help.