The overall benefit of therapeutic touch for a dying patient and the family is to create a calm, peaceful environment that relaxes the patient enough to diminish physical discomforts allowing him or her to be in touch with the inner world. At the end, it eases the transition into death. It would be erroneous to think that therapeutic touch only benefits the recipient. Therapeutic touch makes a profound difference to both the giver and the receiver. The practitioner derives a satisfaction because of the ability to help the patient.
Therapeutic touch provides a concrete way for the family to participate.
Jane and Marie were mother and daughter. They were also best friends. They enjoyed an intellectual and openly affectionate relationship. Jane was living with Marie, her husband, and granddaughter, when Jane had a recurrence of breast cancer. Marie and her family insisted that Jane stay so that they could look after her.