Senior Massage

[erygzuss]

Hey Folks -

I've been asked to do a presentation at a retirement facility in a few weeks here and I am looking for some help on what to say.

I have a basic presentation I use on why folks should get a massage, but I would like to gear it more towards a senior population, since that is most of the people I will be talking to at this facility.

So, any thoughts/comments/suggestions/links - I will welcome them!

And now, back to harassing Boss Man at Landscaping Job to get me the final numbers for a bid due now... :

 

[Juuls]

Senior Massage

Niko,

t044 t043 t042 t024 Love your eforum.xxx line below your post ---- waaaaay back in the day, that could have been my theme song..... LOL

Anyhoooo - are your gearing your talk more toward reasons why massage should be received or on how to provide themselves with a quick, DIY neck shoulder routine? If you will PM with an email address for you, I'd be happy to share information sheets with you that I put together for similar events that give info on what stress does to the body, etc as well as a "down and dirty" DIY bit for the neck and shoulders, if you are interested....

LOL, sirens blaring, ambulances roaring down the street outside [3 doors down from the corner, I am]..... seriously, I thought of your eforum.xxx line when they went past!!!!! :

 

[Alia M]

Senior Massage

Can I know more about the facility? Is it a multiple-services place, where some live in apartments and are fully self-care, others are in assisted living, and others are in nursing facilities? Or is it all apartments? If apartments, do you know the median age? Are they mostly ambulatory? Travelers? If it is a facility where they all receive some level of care, do you know what level? Nursing or just assistance with daily living?

Among any level of daily care needs there is a huge variety of massage needs/requirements/conditions. If you can identify the level of care needs, you can focus on a smaller spectrum in your presentation. If it is a facility of all levels of needs, you will need to be both very general and also get into a couple of specifics for each level, and state that there are differences in massages that are specific to the level, but that also it can still be specified to the individual.

I work with both multi-level care facilities and single-level care facilities. Sometimes I am speaking to the residents and at other times I am speaking to the staff/caregivers/family members. Knowing to whom you will be presenting your material is also important. If it is staff, you will need to use words like "contraindications". With residents or family members, you need to skip the terminology and just explain the process of developing a treatment plan.

Try to avoid focusing on their age and health issues. Seniors are individuals and the treatment plan has to be individualized. Focusing in on their inabilities leaves people discouraged and even depressed. The whole "massage for the elderly fragile patient" teaching leads us to believe that everyone over 65 is fragile and we'd better not use more than 5g of pressure....... is incorrect. And offensive to those over 65. I have a client going on 103 who has been enjoying a medium pressure full body Swedish massage biweekly for four years, with occasional site-specific therapeutic work. No two bodies are alike - at any age.

 

[Bailey G]

Senior Massage

I've read (believe it was either in "Touch" by Montigue or "Job's Body" by .eh, D.J.) that the older we get the more touch benefits us, as to the specifics you'd haveto look it up.