The Arts Program at The Connecticut Hospice
With early support from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Connecticut Hospice was the first hospice in the nation to formally incorporate the arts into hospice care.
Today, expressive arts remain an integral part of care at The Connecticut Hospice. Since 1979, creative therapies have complemented medical treatment by providing patients and families with meaningful ways to connect, reflect, and find comfort during serious illness.
The Arts Program is available to all patients and families under the care of The Connecticut Hospice free of charge.
How the Arts Program Works
Our Arts Program is led by board-certified art and music therapists and supported by trained artists, musicians, writers, volunteers, and student interns. Services are available to all patients receiving care at The Connecticut Hospice—both inpatient and at home—at no cost to patients or families.
Expressive arts services include:
- One-on-one bedside art and music therapy
- Creative activities with family members or small groups
- Live music, rotating art exhibitions, and community concerts
- Art visits in the home or wherever patients reside
- Opportunities to actively create or to simply listen, observe, and reflect
The Importance of the Arts in Palliative & Hospice Care
Creative therapies support patients and families in ways that extend beyond medical care, offering meaningful benefits throughout the hospice experience.
The arts create space for connection when words fall short. They offer patients and families new ways to communicate, reminisce, and reflect, often easing emotional and physical distress in the process.
Engagement with the arts has also been shown to reduce anxiety, boredom, and discomfort; support emotional expression; and improve mood. For some families, artwork created during care becomes a lasting keepsake. For others, it’s the experience itself—a song, a shared memory—that holds meaning.
The Connecticut Hospice Difference
- The Connecticut Hospice Arts Program is a multifaceted program, staffed 365 days a year by a full-time Arts Director and several board-certified music and art therapists.
- The Connecticut Hospice was the first to integrate arts with hospice care and include the arts in the interdisciplinary team approach.
- 2013 Winner, New Haven Arts Council Arts Award
- The Connecticut Hospice was the first to receive funding for the Arts Program from The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
- Recognized as a teaching model by Veterans Administration Community Living Center in Washington, DC, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and Society for Arts in Healthcare.
Focusing on Patients, Not Profits, Since 1974.
Comprehensive Support Options
Medical Support Measures
Physician-guided care focused on pain relief and symptom management.
Pastoral Care and Spiritual Support
Support for reflection, meaning, or faith, regardless of beliefs or traditions.
Social Work
Guidance and emotional support as families navigate decisions, stress, and change.
Therapies (PT/OT/ST)
Home-based therapies that support safety, function, and independence.
Volunteer Support
Presence and companionship, often from those with personal hospice experience.
Different Locations.
One Approach to Care.
Whether at home, in skilled care or assisted living facilities, or at The Connecticut Hospice’s Branford hospital, we care for patients and families together—because serious illness affects everyone involved.
Our interdisciplinary team collaborates across care settings to support physical comfort and well-being while addressing emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
Care plans are tailored to each individual and adjusted as circumstances change, helping families feel supported, informed, and never alone throughout their journey.
Licensed, Certified, Accredited Hospital
Our 52-bed waterfront hospital is available to all our home care patients, as well as new patients referred by families or our community partners.
This facility provides 24/7 expert-level symptom management, including infused pain medications and rapid dose adjustments for patients whose symptoms cannot be managed at home.
Licensed, Certified, Accredited Home Care
Our home care services support patients in private homes, assisted living communities, and skilled nursing facilities across all levels of palliative and hospice care.
Care is delivered by interdisciplinary teams focused on comfort, caregiver support, and continuity, allowing patients to remain at home whenever clinically appropriate.
Admissions
Admission to The Connecticut Hospice is a collaborative process guided by each patient’s needs and goals of care.
Our team works closely with patients, families, and referring providers to ensure the right level of support, in the right setting, at the right time.
A Comprehensive Approach
At The Connecticut Hospice, families and caregivers are an essential part of the care experience. That’s why we support patients and the people who love them together.
Care plans are shaped around shared goals, personal needs, and what matters most in daily life. Our interdisciplinary team works across settings and services to ensure care is coordinated, responsive, and attentive to the emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of everyone involved.
We help bring clarity and compassion to serious illness, so patients and loved ones can focus on the moments that matter most.
How Can We Help?
Make a Donation
As a local not-for-profit, The Connecticut Hospice relies on donor support to provide individualized services and therapies not fully covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.
Your generosity helps ensure that every patient and family receives the care, comfort, and support they need, regardless of circumstances.