Massage Therapy For The Elderly

The elderly are very interested in receiving therapeutic touch and are very willing to benefit from its increased popularity among practitioners

. More and more often, therapists of all types are encouraged to speak to and work with adults living in nursing homes and assisted living communities. Especially popular among these therapists are those focused on promoting nursing home and assisted living clients' wellbeing through touch.

Of course, providing therapeutic touch for this fast growing demographic does not come without complications. Many therapists will need to continue their education in order to provide proper care for their elderly clients. As with any form of massage, there are certain guidelines to follow when assessing client age and needs. This is very much a consideration with the elderly.

As expected, therapists who receive certifications in touch for the geriatric, or elderly, are taught to be extremely in tune with their clients needs. Frequently, the older client can be more sensitive to touch. A more gentle approach is occasionally necessary. That isn't to say that elderly patients are fearful of touch. This is a common misunderstanding. Because even very light touching can bring about successful results toward promoting relaxation and wellbeing, it is wrongly believed that massages may be too much for the elderly patient.

With many demographics, pressure points are an easy way to get to the source of the muscle, stress or pain issue. The same is true with the geriatric population, though caution must be used when applying pressure. In some cases bone density loss, arthritis or general fragility prevents the therapist from exploring the pressure points of their elderly clients. However, with continued attention even light touch of pressure points can yield impressive and wonderful results.

Often massage therapy is being used among Alzheimer's patients with exciting outcomes. Studies suggest that touch among even the most severely affected by the disease has restorative results. Occasionally non-verbal patients have suddenly vocalized during massage treatment, suggesting that touch can get to the core of the individual no matter what stage of Alzheimer's they find themselves. Patients are also seeing increased mobility after a few sessions with a therapist.

It is important to note that, as with other demographics, each client must be treated as an individual. Their experience may be completely different than that of their peers and attention must be paid accordingly. Therapists could easily work on a 75 year-old patient that suffers from increased fragility, while at the same time working with a 95 year-old client that handles deep tissue therapy with ease.

by: Abigail Aaronson

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