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I am starting a travel to in home massage business. Just wondering if I should have my clients sign a waiver of sorts to cover myself or if soap notes is fine? Any opinions? I live in Minnesota if that makes a difference.

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Permalink Reply by Ajay on September 14, 2018 at 8:10pm

Not quite sure what you mean by a waiver. A waiver for what exactly? In case something happens to their property by you? to your client? Their dog eats the foam off of your table while your out bringing more stuff in from your vehicle?

Or are you talking about a consent for treatment. I don't think you would need more than that.

Here are some thoughts though... the answer you seek might be touched on.

You should always have a client fill out and sign a health intake form which includes a standard consent for massage therapy. I've put one below for your reference if you don't already have one.

The short answer is that you need both, the client intake with a consent for treatment and SOAP notes...

SOAP notes however brief, should always be filled out on each client, if for no other reason that you go back to their house weeks or months later it will tell you what you did, what worked, what you recommended to them, and or what they liked for essential oils.

SOAP notes might be very important if a client comes back later to make a liability claim against your insurance, or license. This would depend on what the client claimed you did of course. Your states regulatory board will probably ask for your side of the story. Without SOAP notes or an incident report, how could you answer them competently days or weeks later. It also sends a signal that you are handling your business professionally.

Most out call folks don'e deal with insurance, but if you do, SOAP notes are a must.

Give the out call (in home) service a great deal of thought. Safety for you is paramount. Not to likely that anything bad will happen, but still their should be someone else that knows where you are and when you should be done at the clients. If you don't call within a prearranged time after the service they should be calling you. If you don't pickup, they should be calling 911.

Here is a sample:

Consent for Treatment

Massage/bodywork should not be performed under certain medical conditions, I affirm that I have stated all my known medical conditions and answered all questions honestly. I agree to keep the therapist updated as to any changes in my medical profile and understand that the therapist is not liable for the aggravation of conditions that were present, but not disclosed, at the time of signing and which may be affected by the massage/bodywork session. If I experience any pain or discomfort during this session, I will immediately inform the therapist so that the pressure and/or strokes may be adjusted to my level of comfort. I, or the Therapist, have the right to stop the session at any time for any reason. I understand that I may be denied services and the session terminated if I behave in an inappropriate manner during the session or have consumed drugs or intoxicating substances prior to the session. Understanding that massage/bodywork is not a substitute for medical examination, diagnosis or treatment, I give my consent to receive care.

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Johnson on September 14, 2018 at 8:14pm

Thank you

Ajay said:

Not quite sure what you mean by a waiver. A waiver for what exactly? In case something happens to their property by you? to your client? Their dog eats the foam off of your table while your out bringing more stuff in from your vehicle?

Or are you talking about a consent for treatment. I don't think you would need more than that.

Here are some thoughts though... the answer you seek might be touched on.

You should always have a client fill out and sign a health intake form which includes a standard consent for massage therapy. I've put one below for your reference if you don't already have one.

The short answer is that you need both, the client intake with a consent for treatment and SOAP notes...

SOAP notes however brief, should always be filled out on each client, if for no other reason that you go back to their house weeks or months later it will tell you what you did, what worked, what you recommended to them, and or what they liked for essential oils.

SOAP notes might be very important if a client comes back later to make a liability claim against your insurance, or license. This would depend on what the client claimed you did of course. Your states regulatory board will probably ask for your side of the story. Without SOAP notes or an incident report, how could you answer them competently days or weeks later. It also sends a signal that you are handling your business professionally.

Most out call folks don'e deal with insurance, but if you do, SOAP notes are a must.

Give the out call (in home) service a great deal of thought. Safety for you is paramount. Not to likely that anything bad will happen, but still their should be someone else that knows where you are and when you should be done at the clients. If you don't call within a prearranged time after the service they should be calling you. If you don't pickup, they should be calling 911.

Here is a sample:

Consent for Treatment

Massage/bodywork should not be performed under certain medical conditions, I affirm that I have stated all my known medical conditions and answered all questions honestly. I agree to keep the therapist updated as to any changes in my medical profile and understand that the therapist is not liable for the aggravation of conditions that were present, but not disclosed, at the time of signing and which may be affected by the massage/bodywork session. If I experience any pain or discomfort during this session, I will immediately inform the therapist so that the pressure and/or strokes may be adjusted to my level of comfort. I, or the Therapist, have the right to stop the session at any time for any reason. I understand that I may be denied services and the session terminated if I behave in an inappropriate manner during the session or have consumed drugs or intoxicating substances prior to the session. Understanding that massage/bodywork is not a substitute for medical examination, diagnosis or treatment, I give my consent to receive care.