A Circle of Care: Horizon Hospice, 1978-2015: by Special Collections and University Archives, UIC Library

Complementary alternative medicine therapies

Palliative care focuses on easing pain rather than curing a patient. Horizon Hospice was committed to finding therapies that provided relief to patients, while also allowing them to be awake and alert. Pharmaceutical interventions are an important part of relieving pain, but too many drugs render a patient unable to be mentally present in what could be their final weeks. To avoid over prescribing narcotics and other mind altering drugs, the organization pioneered an array of complementary alternative medicines (CAM) to provide comfort to their hospice patients.

These therapies could range from the physical—like acupuncture or massage—to the emotional and spiritual, such as music and art therapies. Horizon Hospice used combinations of these therapies, as well as pharmaceutical pain relievers, to help their patients cope with the pain of their illness or injury. They also gathered data to improve upon the medical community’s knowledge about these alternative treatments and move hospice and palliative medicine forward.  This section contains materials explaining the CAM that Horizon offered and their potential benefits.

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