004. Hospice care in south Florida with Nicaraguan music therapist Carlos-Andres Rodriguez

Carlos-Andres Rodriguez is a Music Therapist for Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care in Miami, FL.  Carlos-Andres obtained his music therapy degree from the University of Miami in 2015. His experiences working in hospice and palliative care began with volunteering between semesters from 2013, an internship in hospice and bereavement in 2014, and a full-time position after obtaining his MT-BC certification in May 2015. He completed the Hospice & Palliative Care Music Therapist (HPMT) certification in 2017. Having previous experience working with Latin American and Caribbean patients across Miami-Dade county, his more recent work is focused towards the hospice inpatient units, addressing acute end-of-life concerns and coordinating bereavement support for patient families.

SHOW NOTES

• Life in Miami, family in Nicaragua
• The importance of Spanish in his household
• 95% of people in Hialeah speak Spanish at home
• College career (double majored in Music Ed and Music Therapy!)
• “Knowing Spanish in Miami has been priceless”
• Many Cuban nurses in Miami (you won’t believe what their professional career actually was in Cuba!)
• When surrounding yourself with co-workers, “There’s beauty in learning from each other.”
• Being a mediator as an bilingual speaker for staff members
• Developing an open-mind when working with patient’s from other cultures
• The end of life experience with Latinx patients and families
• Food intake equates health
• Explaining Latinx that hospice is a service and not a place
• Common Spanish words used in hospice care
• Popular songs in Spanish for hospice patients
• The use of the word “negrito/a” as a term of endearment in Latinx countries

Spanish vocabulary in this episode:

1. John Doe = Fulanito/a
2. Hospice = hospicio
3. Gossip = chisme
4. Dying (imminent death) = muriendo
5. Declining (progressive) = declinando
6. Sleeps more = duerme más
7. Eating less = comiendo menos
8. Anxiety = ansiedad

PPS (Palliative Performance Scale): http://www.npcrc.org/files/news/palliative_performance_scale_PPSv2.pdf

Popular music for hospice in Miami

• Guantanamera - Celia Cruz (check her out in this sound check!)
• Perfidia - Trío Los Panchos
• Sin Ti - Trío Los Panchos
• Nosotros - Trio Los Panchos (goodbye letter)
• En Mi Viejo San Juan
• Pescador de Hombre (Lord You Have Come to the Lakeshore)
• A Mi Manera (My Way) - Vicente Fernandez
• Quizás, quizás, quizás - lovely version by Andrea Bocelli

FB Messenger and LinkedIn: Carlos-Andres Rodriguez

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