Touching Lives in Eldercare and Hospice

I grew up in a relatively small town in Kansas. I am a mid-west girl to the core (which I am quite proud of by the way!).  As a child I had little exposure to cultures other than my white, middle class, rural world.  My adult life has expanded my world view and I’ve had opportunities to relate to people from cultures other than my own.  Today our world is growing more culturally blended. Some see this as a challenge. I see it as an opportunity to learn from one another and see not only our differences but our shared humanity.  I came upon a piece written by Sister Barbara Sheehan called Honoring Cultural Diversity and You Accompany the Sick and the Grieving.   Sr. Sheehan offers some  guidance in caring for people of cultures other than our own.  She offers these insights:

• Take your cultural diversity temperature.  What do you think and feel about cultural diversity?
• Do a personal cultural inventory. Get to know yourself and your own attitudes and beliefs. What is your world view stemming from your own cultural roots?
• Reflect on your learned predudices. Explore the impact that stereotypes, historiacl narratives or lack or experience.
• Practice mindful listening. Listen to others with your whole being.
• Practice care-filled curiosity. Asking questions like “what is this person telling me about themselves?”

These perspectives seem like helpful touchstones for any professional caregiver today. I appreciate that  Sr. Sheehan’s guideance aligns with Compassionate Touch concepts about serving others.
Namaste (or as we say in Kansas, You take care now!)
Ann

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I hope you have enjoyed your week. I had the honor of presenting Integrating Massage Therapy as an Ancillary Service at the annual convention of the Advocate of Not-for-Profit Services for Older Ohioans (AOPHA) in Columbus, OH.  I took advantage of a chance to attend some other educational sessions and the overwhelming theme was, as Bob Dylan said in one of his early songs, “the world, it is a changing.”  I’d like to pass along some interesting tidbits of information I gathered regarding the changing face and future of eldercare facilities.
Bob Applebaum, Professor of Gerontology at Miami University, Oxford, OH reported in his presentation entitled Meeting the Long-term Care Challenges of an Aging Ohio:

• More people admitted to skilled nursing facilities are there for tempory stays rather than permanently.  After 6 months only 1/3 of admissions are still in the nursing home.
• Long term nursing home residents are more impaired than ever before and require more skilled care
• In the future, nursing homes will increase emphasis on dementia care and short-term stays for rehabilitation
• Technology may enter the eldercare scene in ways such as robotic personal care attendents (he reported that this technology exsists now but is cost prohibitive)

Jo Donovan is Director of Clinical Education for Skilled Care Pharmacy in Mason, OH and she offered an interesting presentation called Changing Course, Changing Focus… MDS 3.0 and the Voice of the Resident.  You may not be familiar with the term MDS (and if you are, did I just feel a little cringe?). The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is part of the U.S. federally mandated process for clinical assessment of all residents in Medicare or Medicaid certified nursing homes. This process provides a comprehensive assessment of each resident’s functional capabilities and helps nursing home staff identify health problems.  A couple of things in her presentation stood out that I think are relevant to massage therapists interested in serving elders in nursing homes:

• New mandates effective Oct. 1, 2010 emphasize person-centered care. This mean that personal choice and preferences must be honored. This gives each individual greater control and voice in his or her daily life.
• There will be greater focus on life-enriching activities and psycho-social well-being.

These are certainly areas where massage therapists can have a positive impact.  I am happy to report that many of the attendees to my session reported already having massage therapy or planning to add it to their facilities!  The world is a changing– in some very positive ways!

Take care,
Ann

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