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Massage for Those in Later Life Stages

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Massage for Those in Later Life Stages

This is a group for those who are interested in serving the special population of elders and those in hospice and palliative care. Lets share stories, research, news, events and practice development tips.

Location: National
Members: 102
Latest Activity: Oct 26, 2015

Top 10 Reasons to Expand Your Practice into Eldercare

Discussion Forum

Rolling cart/bag for supplies 1 Reply

Started by Janet Ziegler. Last reply by Rhonda Porter Oct 19, 2011.

Do we need to educate hospice organizations? 1 Reply

Started by Ann Catlin. Last reply by Janet Ziegler Apr 14, 2011.

Brochures Related to Massage & Dementia 2 Replies

Started by Susan Clingman. Last reply by Ann Catlin Feb 4, 2011.

Comment Wall

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Comment by Ann Catlin on January 15, 2010 at 11:00am
I look forward to meeting you too, Noreen! I'm glad the article has served you well. I'm glad to hear of your interest in offering your services to hospice. You asked about what approach you should take. Well, that's a very big question and the answer is a bit complex. I can tell you that it matters to hopice directors that the therapists they bring on board can demonstrate that they have the right skill sets. Massage therapy in hospice is growing as our value becomes recognized. You asked about certification. I'm thinking that you are referring to training. Yes, Compassionate Touch offer a certification. If you would like specific information feel free to email me directly. And keep an eye out for those articles!
Comment by noreen zakrajsek on January 8, 2010 at 6:41pm
Thank you Lisa for the direction with Anne's article on Listening. It was wonderfully written. I printed it out so as I can review it again and share it with others. I visit a couple retirement homes weekly,so I find this very helpful and compassion information to use.
Thanks again.
I hope one day I will meet Ann in person.Hopefully in a workshop.
Comment by noreen zakrajsek on January 8, 2010 at 6:21pm
I am thinking about looking into Hospice work and massage. can you share the avenge that I should take? Also, do you get any kind of certification from this?
Comment by Lisa Curran Parenteau on January 6, 2010 at 2:33pm
Read Ann's new article in Massage Today, The Art of Authentic Listening.
Comment by Ann Catlin on December 29, 2009 at 5:35pm
Greetings all,
I've followed this conversation with interest and appreciate the various perspectives. While it's true that anyone can provide caring and conscious touch that is beneficial to those in hospice or palliative care, I believe that there is good reason for hospice organizations to require massage therapists to be licensed or certifiied. As our profession gains a place in the health care settings of eldercare and hospice we are expected to uphold standards of practice similar to other healthcare professionals. I recently talked with the director of a hospice in Iowa that has massage therapists on staff. She shared with me that they have had some therapists who didn't work out because they did not have the specialized skilles required to provide the quality service they expected. As an educator I support the unique role that massage therapists play in hospice care. I also provide training for other hospice caregivers in the use of skilled touch. I agree that there is a huge difference between therapeutic massage (as well as other skills offered by a properly trained massage therapist ) and the simple use of focused touch in caregiving. I think there is a place for both to occur side by side and if a caregiver uses focused touch it does not pose a threat to the use of a massage therapist's service. I've found that it actually builds awareness to the value we bring to the hospice patient. Thanks again-- I look forward to our continued conversation.
Ann
Comment by John C. Tresise on December 14, 2009 at 12:10pm
Thank you Carl! I am in total agreement with your analysis of the difference between Sweedish Massage and what is required to do palliative work.

After 8 years or more of working with hospice patients and elderly clients, I am, and have been, really conflicted about what qualifications one needs to work with this segment of the population. On the one hand, no one needs a massage education to provide caring touch. On the other hand, those allowed to exercise the responsibility of providing massage for hospice patients need to have enough understanding of the human body and the elements of massage to know when they may be doing harm or causing unintentional discomfort to their patients. However, the notion that a massage therapist has to be "Nationally Certified" to do hospice work is absurd! The national certification requirement by some hospice organizations is purely a hedge against liability in a litiginous society and by some hospice workers in our profession an attempt at bureaucratic birth control. If you think that certification enhances your ability to provide caring touch to those in need, I say "go for it." But to require certification just limits the number of patients that can and will receive real benefit/healing from being touched by another. Working from a stance of scarcity reaps scarcity. Working from a stance of abundance reaps abundance. "Nuf said!

What my basic massage education did provide me with are those red flags that get raised when I am just not sure if a particular technique is appropriate or helpful. That, and of course, the most basic precept drilled into us throughout our time in massage school; "When in Doubt, Don't" is essential to doing the work safely. All that lies in the background any time I begin to work with someone whose health is compromised. I also have to remind myself that the goal is Healing and not Curing. As you know, the two are very different! Some of the healthiest folks I have ever met met have been amongst the hospice patients I've worked with whose bodies were falling apart and shutting down around them.

Thank you again, Carl, for your ongoing insights on hospice/palliative massage. You are far more eloquent then I and probably a whole lot more politically correct. I will continue to look forward to your posts on this subject.
Comment by Carl W. Brown on December 14, 2009 at 10:42am
Jagruti, I think the training for MTs is inappropriate for hospice work. There is some overlap but much of what is taught does not apply including the basic attitudes that go with Swedish massage and there is training that is certainly missing for working with the elderly, infirm and doing palliative work.

The allopathic community is very different in that the focus shifts form what is proper medicine to what is best for the patient. I think we need different training. There is no traditional Swedish strokes, draping and the body mechanics are wrong. You don’t do deep tissue or sports medicine. You can’t rely on a person with dementia to communicate properly. It is not like the dance of Swedish and the focus of how you interact with clients is different. You work with people in hospital beds, wheel chairs any rarely use tables. You are not there to fix but to serve. It is a totally different attitude. If you are mot properly trained you can seriously hurt yourself or you patients. And there is the hospice training. You also need to be able to psychologically take on the job and learn to help clients and not burn out yourself.

The training does have some things in common such as anatomy but even there the focus is different. The techniques are different and the psychology is different and I have heard from some trainers that it is easier in most cases to start with a non-MT.
Comment by Heather Karr, LMT on December 14, 2009 at 8:44am
I agree that anyone that is "massaging" a patient (semantics might get in the way of this one!) should be a MT, but simply holding a hand (this is considered touch therapy) is a blessing and a benefit to the patient.
Comment by Jagruti on December 14, 2009 at 8:35am
There are traiinings out there apparently that are teaching volunteers, chaplains, social workers et al of the hospice care team to give massage therapy to patients.
I have a really hard time with this as what does that do for the licensed/certified MT's and especially the patients? Sort of makes training pointless it seems and this is one of the populations that needs excellence in training for MT's.
This comment may stir things up on this board, but I feel healthy conversation/communication is always good...and after all, the first priority for all of us are our patients, not running touch trainings for the general public right?

2010, one of the largest national hospice companies will be requiring ALL MT's who touch end of life patients to be nationally certified, have specific training for the population and ONLY MT's will be allowed to do the work. This is as it should be, especially if we wish to be more accepted/recognized by allopathic medicine as capable/trained care providers.
Comment by Heather Karr, LMT on December 14, 2009 at 7:53am
Just join this group and so glad to see it here! I've been doing hospice work for a short time and was really glad to see Jagruti's comments regarding concerns of volunteer's education in this area. The Heart Touch Project has a fantastic training, as well as Gayle MacDonald's book! Any hoo... I'll be here lurking and possibly making comments in the future. ;)
 

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