ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book advocates a healthcare culture which recognizes its users as people before patients, a culture which values the right of every individual to aspire to satisfy the desire for self-fulfilment and completeness and to be supported in this undertaking. It examines health and wellbeing to mean much more than the physical health status of individuals and incorporates, within the definition of health, the notions of quality-of-life and self-fulfilment. The book addresses the issue of equity and accessibility in service delivery, as well as the spiritual aspects of life and health. It discusses how cultural perceptions of health and healthcare are inextricably linked to the way in which services are delivered and received and to the conceptualization of play as a feature of health. The book describes one innovative small-scale project which illustrates music's demonstrable impact on social, psychological and physical health outcomes.
