This past week I had the privilege of presenting a program on “Comfort Touch: Complementary Care for the Hospice Patient” at the Clinical Team Conference of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in Denver, CO. In attendance were members of interdisciplinary hospice teams from around the country, including health professionals in the fields of nursing, social work, respiratory therapy, and spiritual care. There were also a couple of massage therapists.
In the hands-on presentation, I was received with enthusiasm, in spite of several technical glitches at the conference. These glitches interfered with the printing of my handouts and quality of the recording system—making handouts and recordings of my presentation unavailable. At first, I was mildly dismayed. After all, I had done my part to prepare carefully. But soon, the expectations of the audience before me came into focus. Here was a group of health professionals, who didn’t care about “high tech.” They were there to learn something about “high touch.” And that suited me just fine.
It was 20 years ago this September that I completed the hospice volunteer training in Boulder, Colorado, and began the journey that has led to the development of Comfort Touch as a bodywork modality that is safe, appropriate and effective, even for the most fragile of client, those with terminal illness. While I am humbled by the many patients and their families who have shared their lives with me, I am also most appreciative for the clinical team members and volunteers who provide direct patient care.
The core philosophy of hospice is best stated by the founder of the modern hospice movement, Dame Cicely Saunders, “You matter to the last moment of your life, and we will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but to live until you die.” Comfort Touch, as a complementary therapy for hospice patients, is consistent with that philosophy. When we touch those who are in physical or emotional pain, or challenged by limited functionality, we offer something that directly contributes to the quality of the patient’s life.
