Posted under Marketing Massage for Special Populations & Massage for Elders & General
Hi All,
Over the last 6 years I have had the opportunity to see massage therapists around the U.S. successfully expand their practices to settings like long term care settings and hospice. Some cases in point:
- Helen G., LMT in
Portland, Oregon contracts with a senior retirement community that provides her with a treatment room on-site. Her practice is thriving! - Ellen M., LMT in
Lady Lake, Florida is employed full time by a hospice organization - Lu R., LMT in Hampton, Iowa regularly provides massage to elders with Alzheimer’s disease in a local care facility
- Jeff F., LMT in Loveland, Colorado is the director of the wellness program in a continuing care community. He has developed an extensive touch program for elders there.
It’s my observation that massage is finding its way to these non-traditional settings; nursing homes, assisted living, senior retirement communities, community and residential hospices. Clearly the therapists I mention are working in these settings. It raises a few questions that I think are worth pondering and sharing our thoughts.
1. What are you seeing in your own community? Are massage therapists serving those in these special settings? If so, are they being paid or are they volunteering their services?
2. What do you think are the reasons why the doors are opening for massage in eldercare and hospice?
3. What is essential for a therapist to succeed at practicing in these settings?
Those of us who feel drawn to work with people in later life stages can support one another in our pioneering efforts to take massage to this special population. Take a minute to share your thoughts—we’ll all be listening!
Happy Holidays to you,
Ann
Jenny Laper on 07 Jan 2008 at 2:41 pm #
It is so encouraging to learn that Compassionate Touch is gaining momentum and bringing increased well-being to greater numbers of the elderly and infirm.
Perhaps as science continues to meet spirit by “measuring” the therapeutic value of human touch, and consistently publishing postive results to both giver and receiver, we can expect that Compassionate Touch will become a routine offering in long-term care and elderly facilities.
Thank you to all who are pursuing this caring and affirmative work.
[reply to this comment]
Lola on 12 Jan 2008 at 9:21 am #
This post made me realize I don’t know how services such as massage are paid for in eldercare and hospice settings. A future blog entry for Ann perhaps??
I write about the business of health care, and it’s clear to me that private and public insurers will increasingly promote and provide financial incentives to encourage the use of services that keep people out of the hospital–and that includes a wide range of non-acute settings, including hospice. It would make good business sense for insurers to pay for massage and other practices that reduce pain, depression and other conditions that are costly (and often poorly controlled) when treated with drugs.
Your thoughts, Ann?
[reply to this comment]