Posted under General & Marketing Massage for Special Populations & Massage for Elders
Hold still… do you feel it? There is a wave of change underfoot. It seems like EVERYTHING is changing– have you noticed? Most certainly theres a lot of change happening in our profession. I like to think of the changes as growing pains.  A big change that we all are aware of is the aging of our population, with the fastest growing segment being 85 yrs and over. Lately I’ve been exploring this question: With so many elders emerging in the United States — are massage schools acknowledging this as an emerging market for our profession? After a little investigating it seems that the answer is mixed. The emphasis schools place on massage for those in later life stages ranges from simply showing a video (quite possibly outdated); to a few hours and visiting a local nursing home; to none at all. While I know there is value in giving massage students a taste of many different approaches I believe what is being overlooked is how important this special population is, and will be, to a successful career.Â
I want all massage therapists to succeed and have the career dreamed of when they decided to pursue massage school. I think it’s the responsibilty of schools to prepare students in skill sets that are in step with current societal trends and needs to give their graduates a fair shake at success. If more emphasis was placed on the growing need of an aging population, I think more massage therapists might feel a little more confident in reaching out to those potential clients. At the very least, students would understand that serving this special populationis a viable choice.Â
I’d like ask a favor of you. If any of what I’ve said resonates with you, join me in the conversation with our massage schools. Let them know this is important! If massage schools put just a little more emphasis on this special population we, as a profession, will be there to answer the needs of millions.
Best regards,
Ann
