Eldercare Massage

[Arraf]

I'm wondering if anyone out there has ever thought about working with this special population and what your thoughts are on it?
Is massage therapy effective for the elderly?
How do you run your practice?
Can it be a full time gig?

Any insight would be very much appreciated!

 

[Gumdrops &Lollipops]

Eldercare Massage

'Compassionate Touch: Handson Caregiving for the Elderly, Ill and Dying'
http://www.amazon.com/Compasionate-Touch-Dawn-Nelson/dp/0882681494/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1328629077&sr=8-3

This is the textbook we used in my geriatrics class. I loved it and and made sure to save it. It also has a great list of essentails/tools to have on hand for elderly massage.

I spent some time doing elderly massage and found that some absoslutely LOVED it, L.O.V.E.D. it, and found it to be pretty powerful. I also found that others did not like it, or to be touched, or to pay for it. One or the other.

I went into the nursing homes, it was not full time - just a few clients whose family paid for full sessions and a couple for 15-20 min. sessions of free 'over the clothes' massage.

I did some full sessions, unclothed, in their rooms and on their beds. I got them dressed and undressed, helped them in/out of bed. If I had to do over I wouldn't do the full sessions, but that skin on skin contact really made a difference - I feel. A lot of these people just aren't touched anymore and it was a powerful experience, I definately feel that the right therapist could make a good business/experience out of it.

 

[Nico]

Eldercare Massage

I have a 92 year old client who comes in every other week. I don't work terribly deep, but I definitely do more than swedish. I work on he and his wife. I pad some extra time around their appointments. It is very effective for both of them. She is in her mid-60's.

Some of it may have to do with what age you think elderly is, too. If you think being elderly is 60, then it can be quite easy to build a practice around them. If you think elderly is 90 and up, well, it may be a little more difficult as there aren't too many of those folks still wandering around in good health. So, in that case you would have to figure out a way to get to them, in order to help -- if they couldn't make it to you.

Try it. You may find your niche!