$115*
60 Minutes
What is Geriatric massage?
Geriatric massage is a form of massage designed to meet the specific needs of the elderly population. Geriatric massage can help them maintain and improve their overall health, as well as regain certain physical functions that have been reduced or lost due to aging, no matter how active they may or may not be. In addition, it can relieve anxiety and depression and provide comfort to touch-deprived elderly patients. Many older adults lack positive physical contact with others on a regular basis. A massage therapist can fulfill this need for you or a loved one with the touch a massage provides.
Other overall benefits to geriatric massage can include:
- Anxiety decrease
- stress reduction
- increased level of comfort
- reduced aggression from dementia
- improved mental outlook
- pain management.
- reduce stiff muscles.
- increased blood circulation
- increase body temperature.
- better sleep
- having a visitor come
Overall benefits to the family of geriatric clients:
- Another set of eyes on their family member at whatever facility they may be
- An advocate for their loved one at their facility
- Skin cancer prevention
- Having a visitor for their loved one
Is your loved one living at their own home?
Maybe in an assisted living facility, or an adult family home, a memory care facility, or a rehab facility. Are they not active/not mobile? Do they have dementia or Alzheimer’s? It’s not a problem! I consult with the family members and healthcare team/facility staff to see what the massage goals are, what the medical history is, and to become aware of any problems that may be encountered during the massage. My geriatric clients receive massage sitting in chairs, couches, wheelchairs, motorized wheelchairs, beds/hospital beds, and occasionally, my massage table.
I have experience with clients 65 – 96 years young, both active and not, with all stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s. I’ve had clients who are wheelchair bound (regular and motorized) …some due to aging bodies, others due to diabetes, ALS clients, and clients who hallucinate (some due to medication). My geriatric work the past 8 years has been a rewarding and humbling experience. (It helped my family when we had to transition my grandmother to an assisted living facility).
