Comfort Touch—www.comforttouch.com
Compassionate Touch— www.compassionate-touch.org
Day-Break Geriatric Massage Institute—www.daybreak-massage.com
Everflowing—www.everflowing.org
From the Heart Through the Hands—www.fromtheheartthroughthehands.com
Healwell—www.healwell.org
Oncology Massage Education Associates—www.oncologymassageeducationassociates.com
The Heart Touch Project—www.hearttouch.org
Tracy Walton & Associates—www.tracywalton.com
STICK YOUR TOE IN THE WATER
If you think working with frail elders is something you
might be interested in, I suggest you try volunteering
at a skilled nursing or assisted-living facility.
Assisted living and skilled nursing are vastly different.
In skilled nursing, the residents need much more care;
most, but not all, are in wheelchairs or may be bed-
bound and require 24-7 care. In assisted living, the
residents are typically higher functioning, and most are
more ambulatory. Moreover, the setup is more like living
in your own small apartment. I work in both settings
and like both because it creates a nice balance.
Mary Ann Konarzewski, CMT, CMLDT, is an author, speaker, therapeutic activity specialist, and massage therapist specializing
in elder care. She is the author of the book Creating a Rich and Meaningful Life in Long-Term Care: A Guide for Family Caregivers
and Eldercare Professionals (Apocryphile Press, 2017). She can be reached at maryannkonarewski705@gmail.com.
If you find you enjoy working
with frail elders, I suggest you
prepare yourself by:
• Taking a class in geriatric
massage.
• Learning about different
medications used by this
population and how they may
interact with massage.
• Learning about this
population's primary medical
conditions and how those
conditions may inform the way
you work with these clients.
• Reading as much as you
can about the physical,
psychological, and
physiological impacts of aging.
• Educating yourself on the
cautions and contraindications
of working with this group of
clients. For example, aging
skin is much thinner than
younger skin, and bruises and
tears easily; bones are more
brittle, and subject to fracture
if someone has osteoporosis.
These are some important
factors to keep in mind before
working with someone who is
a frail, older adult.
• Learning about the different
types of dementia, how they
manifest differently, and how
to effectively communicate
with someone who has
dementia. A good place to
start is by going to www.alz.
org and www.idba.org.
NOW,
JUMP IN!
TRAINING AND
EDUCATION
OPPORTUNITIES
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