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Vermont Massage and Wellness |
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Specializing in Massage Therapy and Healthy Living |
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Gentle Massage for the Elderly
NEW! Rates:
Thirty Minutes
Fifteen Minutes Uncovering hidden needs Have you ever gone into a nursing home and experienced the residents you don’t even know reaching out their hands to you? They are looking for one of the fundamental needs of life: a caring human touch. They are often starved for touch- like someone who is dehydrated and needs water. Geriatric massage and massage for the ill are important. We need to find ways as a society to meet the caring touch needs of these populations. There are many reasons why a person may be touch deprived; the loss of a spouse, the loss of independence which may lead to isolation or families living far away from their aging parents and in-laws. Sometimes the only touch one may receive is when being helped with bathing or toileting, or when being asked to take his or her medications. A facility with caring staff and an activities schedule to meet each resident’s fundamental needs can provide an atmosphere of warmth and can meet the resident’s needs for caring human touch. The Benefits of Geriatric Massage Massage can have a profound, positive effect on an elderly person’s mental and emotional state. Massage provides mental and physical stimulation from an “outside” person not involved in routine care. This can help disoriented persons re-connect with time and place, as well as relieve some of the boredom for the mentally alert. Nurturing touch can sooth an agitated or anxious person who feels frightened, out of control, or depressed. Through caring touch, the individual may begin to feel less lonely and is assured that he is important and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Daily frustrations and challenges may begin to feel less overwhelming. Someone who feels better after a receiving a massage may be more inclined to be more physically active, more social, more mentally alert, to eat better, and to simply smile more at loved ones and staff. Geriatric massage can increase blood circulation, improve balance and flexibility, reduce the pain of arthritis, increase joint mobility, improve posture, decrease anxiety, depression, and encourage overall well-being. Settings for Geriatric Massage Massage therapy can be given in almost any setting including the home, long-term care facility, or the hospital. Vermont Massage and Wellness typically sees clients in a long-term care facility or in the home. The person receiving the massage can be in bed or seated upright in a chair or wheelchair, and most likely will remain fully clothed. Session Planning The length of time recommended for the elderly and ill is usually no longer than an hour. It can be as short as a fifteen minute hand massage or as long as an hour working on as much of the body is comfortable for both the client and the practitioner. Sessions can vary considerably depending on the needs and preferences of the client and his or her physical, emotional, and mental state.
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'Tis the human touch in this world that counts, The touch of your hand and mine, Which means far more to the fainting heart Than shelter and bread and wine; For shelter is gone when the night is o'er, And bread lasts only a day, But the touch of the hand and the sound of the voice Sing on in the soul always... -Spencer Michael Free
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