Touching Lives in Eldercare and Hospice

Hi again,

Last week I participated in the Florida State Massage Therapy Association convention in Orlando. Congratulations to those hard-working folks who organized and hosted a stellar event!  My role this year was to take part in the exhibit hall talking with therapists about serving people in eldercare and hospice.  The diversity of people in massage therapy is striking.  Believe me standing on a trade show floor for 3 days will give you a good look!  Today we have 20 year olds just starting a career; 55 year olds looking to have a new career in “retirement” ; and all ages in between.  Men and women.  Caucasian, Latino; African American; Asian.   How does this relate to serving people in eldercare and hospice?  Old age and illness knows no ethnic boundaries.  I see our long term care communities becoming more blended. The blend may change depending on what part of the country you live in.  For example in the Midwest we have more Spanish-speaking elders entering our healthcare system and nursing homes.  A facility I visited in the Northwest had many Asian residents.  A North Dakota facility had many Native American residents.  As the population of the United States becomes more diverse it is essential that care professions reflect that diversity. I’m glad to see that represented in the individuals making up the massage therapy profession.
Take care, Ann

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Hi all,
If you are reading this you have an interest in serving people in eldercare or hospice.  There are many aspects to this work. Communication skills, hands-on techniques, safety, and navigating the health care system.   As a massage therapist in this work you are a caregiver– a care professional.  You touch people at a time when their lives have taken a profound turn.  Serving others as a care professional can open your heart and the work itself becomes a spiritual practice.  This idea has been explored by many spiritual leaders from many faith traditions.  It is a universal idea that I invite you to ponder.  Sit with this question: How does your work with frail elders or people in end of life care reflect and propel you along your personal spiritual path? 

The Spiritual Care Program is one example of an effort to shine a light on how we can expand our awareness and truly serve the individuals we touch.  Even if the dying do not actively practice in a spiritual tradition, we can support them by bringing to their bedside the presence, clarity, and profound compassion generated from our daily spiritual practice–thereby creating a “sacred environment” within which they can die. Christine Longaker
Isn’t  this our true work as massage therapists who choose to serve this special population?
Blessings,
Ann

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Hello all,
Last week was the annual Forum of the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.  Once again I participated in the event as an exhibitor in an effort to forward awareness of massage therapy in hospice care.  What I want to tell you is that hospice organizations are a lot more interested in our services than ever before! In fact the very first person to visit our booth said “our competitor has massage therapy so we need to add it too!”Thank you to FHPCO for an excellent event– well done! And thank you to our Compassionate Touch Practitioners who braved the pajama party to help out with hand massage for attendees. 
I encourage you to seek out what your state’s hospice organization’s events. It is an excellent way for you to network, learn and have a little fun!
Blessings to you,
Ann

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Hello all,

Last night the Center for Compassionate Touch launched our webinar series, Inspire U.  I want to shout out a big THANK YOU to Laura Allen for her presentation about what’s so great about social networking. As a person who has been a little resistant to get on board with social networking I have to say that Laura’s enthusiasm caught my attention! It was also really great to be joined by so many people from  the Compassionate Touch community – many of whom reach back a number of years—as well as welcoming many new folks.  It is part of my mission to be a premiere resource for massage therapists and other care professionals and to connect you to others who can assist you along your path of service. I hope you can join us on June 28 @8pm EST with Ryan Malone of Inside Eldercare. The goal of Ryan’s work is to educate and inspire you to make your elder care experience a positive one for you and your family. 

Speaking of positive experiences—while teaching at a long term care facility over the weekend, I witnessed how massage practitioners can model compassionate behavior for other care staff. There was a young activities staff person who was struggling to calm a woman with dementia who was agitated, yelling out and hitting herself.  The massage therapist asked to join them (the staff person was happy to have some help!).  The therapist sat quietly with the woman at first, joining her world in the moment.  Then she reached out her hand and the woman took her hand and made eye contact. Over the next ten minutes the woman went from yelling and hitting herself to laying her head on the therapist’s shoulder and resting while the therapist gently rubbed her upper back.  All the while, the staff person observed the interaction. That massage therapist made a difference in the quality of life for the elder and that young woman.  That is the magic of our work! 

Take good care and I’ll see you in the “social network”!

Ann

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I believe that one of our best gifts as massage therapists is for people living with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Touch is a powerful means of communication and reaching through the “fog” that dementia creates. I have seen first hand the transformation resulting from massage and focused touch. I’m constantly searching for resources related to best practices for dementia care and want to pass these wonderful resources along to you.
Naomi Feil, founder of the Validation Institute. Naomi says “Validation is a method of communicating with and helping disoriented very old people. It is a practical way of working that helps reduce stress, enhance dignity and increase happiness. Validation is built on an empathetic attitude and a holistic view of individuals. When one can “step into the shoes” of another human being and “see through their eyes,” one can step into the world of disoriented very old people and understand the meaning of their sometimes bizarre behavior.”
Teepa Snow is a dementia expert who trains and consults for healthcare professionals and families privately. As a certified Occupational Therapist, Teepa has the unique medical perspective on how the brain controls our body and our behaviors giving her the perfect medical degree to explain how a brain disease like dementia affects a person. Teepa Snow is a dementia expert who trains and consults for healthcare professionals and families privately.

Memory Bridge states it’s purpose as creating programs that connect people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias to family, friends, and other people in their local community. They also create programs that reveal to the general public the depths of memory that dementia does not erase. Their goal is to create a global community of people who, like us, are learning to listen to people with dementia for what they have to teach us about our own humanity.
I hope you find these resources as inspiring as I have. We all can learn from and support one another in the journey of caring for our elders living with dementia.
–Ann

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People often avoid visiting loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease. They avoid it because they assume that the visit won’t be remembered so what difference does it make? Today on NPR I heard a great interview with Justin Feinstein, a graduate student in neuropsychology at the University of Iowa. He reported on a fascinating study published in the National Academy of Sciences that finds that that the emotion tied to a memory lingers in the mind even after the memory is gone. This concept validates what I’ve observed in my work with elders with dementia. While the elder doesn’t remember me or previous sessions, there seems to be a sense memory of the pleasure of a Compassionate Touch session. The study revealed that people with severe memory loss retain the emotion of an event long after the memory of the event fades. In other words, the pleasurable feelings that touch and massage elicits live on even though the person can’t say why she feels good. This is important information about how massage positively impacts quality of life—the touch lives on! If you have a relationship—professional or personal– with anyone with dementia, consider showing family members how to use simple massage to enrich their visits. Maybe they won’t feel such a need to avoid it.
Blessings to you,
Ann

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Healthcare reform has been on the minds of all of us. With passage of the new legislation this past week, I was curious to see what leading organizations in eldercare and hospice had to say about it. The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aged (AAHSA) offer a Health Reform Hub described as “your “one stop shop” for information about the health care reform debate”. The Hub highlights how the new law will affect aging services. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) offers a recap of what passed and what it means for end-of-life care. For massage therapists who serve those in eldercare and hospice the new legislation may have an effect on services, the impact of which will not be know for some time. Meanwhile we can stay informed and advocate for complementary therapies in these special settings. Take care, Ann

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Spring has sprung– finally! I hope you are enjoying yours. I discovered an interesting site from the M.I.T. AgeLab and found an interesting article about the impact of baby boomers on the workplace. I was struck by one point in particular. When we boomers were young parents we demanded on-site child care. Evidently now some employers are looking at adding services and policies to support employees who are caring for aging parents to retain experienced staff. I haven’t thought of this but it sounds like a great idea! So many people are caring for aging parents– or, at least, helping out in some way. I think employers would be smart to take an innovative look at this. If you want to see the article, here is a link.

http://www.disruptivedemographics.com/

What do you think of this idea?
Take care, Ann

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I’ve been exploring this question: Does Medicare reimburse for massage therapy– and what are the implications? It’s no secret that our health care system is in a state of flux and every kind of service provider is holding their breath about this. Besides being a massage therapist, I’m also an occupational therapist and recently recieved a call to action request from the national OT board (NBCOT) They are concerned about current Medicare caps for OT reimbursement. I’m often asked the question from my students,” Does Medicare pay for massage in long term care or hospice?” Well there is not a simple yes or no answer to this question. I’m writing to really see what’s on other people’s minds about the issue of Medicare reimbursement and to prompt a discussion about it. If you are working within eldercare or hospice has this subject come up for you? Has anyone found a successful way to navigate the Medicare waters? What do you think the ramifications are for massage therapists if Medicare reimbursement becomes more available for our services? I’m a bit jaded about it myself because in the 25 years I worked as an occupational therapist I experinced a lot of change in how I was able to go about my work and clinical decisions became so tied to reimbursement. Don’t get me wrong– I’m willing to view this issue with an open mind. What’s on your mind?
Take care,
Ann

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Good day,
I’ve thought some about the use of various technology and how it enhances lives of our elders. I came across a blog entry from Laurie Orlov of Aging in Place Technology

http://www.ageinplacetech.com/

Laurie brings up the value of Skype visits with elder family members and how these visits can help ease feelings of lonliness and isolation and bring families closer as well as help family members to monitor the condition of the elder. While I believe that these “Skype-visits” are a good thing for many, I do question if some families will skip the trip ‘over the river and through the woods’ to grandma’s and substitute a Skype-visit instead, actually increasing isolation. I believe there is no substitute for a real visit where a family shares in an experience; where the elder can feel and touch her grandchildren; where grown children take time to simply show up and be present. Technology will play a huge role in aging baby boomer’s lives– but let’s keep some good old fashioned visits along with it!
Be well,
Ann

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