Touching Lives in Eldercare and Hospice

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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