Posted under General
Good day everyone! Today I want to share with you a few inspiring short stories I’ve had the priviledge of receiving from massage therapists who are working with elders. Since I have the honor of instructing and mentoring therapists wanting to serve elders in nursing homes and those in hospice, I love to hear stories that remind me of just how special this form of service is. So, today, I’m sharing that reminder with you!
“I volunteered at a “spa day” for an assistant living facility. They were curious to see what i had to offer. They tested me by bringing their most agitated Alzheimer resident. She was doing the classic hand fidgeting and over all anxiousness. I calmly went and sat beside her, asked her if I could hold her hand. I put my hand under hers, she did not pull away. In a few minutes her hands had calmed down and instead of fidgeting she was calmly holding my hand with both of hers. I was also gently rubbing her back. She began looking at me and trying to communicate. I couldn’t understand her, so I just started telling her about my life, she would smile and every once and awhile tell me in a clear voice about her life. She allowed me to sit with her for over 30 minutes before she calmly asked to go back to her room. The staff was thrilled!” S.T., LMT
“Working with senior citizens, as well as the serious and terminally ill has given me such joy. This is a population that is neglected in so many ways. I enjoy spending time at their bedsides when they are at their lowest. A touch of the hand, a stroke of the hair and a caring smile does so much for them. We not only teach love, we give love.” S.C., LMT
“My dear 92 year old client, with whom I worked for 20 years, died the other day. She suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for the last few years of her life and along with her memory; she gradually lost her ability to say much. The Compassionate Touch workshop has been so helpful for me in these past months, particularly since Nan no longer felt comfortable being transferred into her bed by anybody. She always consented to my touch though. When last I saw her on New Years Day, although she didn’t recognize me, we shared a smile that was authentic and deeply heartfelt. Her family kept saying that she was gone, that she wasn’t there anymore, but that day, for that moment, after a session of Compassionate Touch, there she was. What a gift for me.” K.P., LMT
May the work of your hands be blessed.
Ann