Studies indicate that providing older adults with short relaxation massages routinely alleviates many physical issues such as sleep disturbances, stress and anxiety, headaches, and muscle stiffness. It can also enhance blood circulation, encourages freedom of movement, lowers stress levels, decreases depression and improves mental health overall.
Medical professionals believe providing older adults with short massage relaxation sessions routinely (15-20 minutes) on a daily basis is an effective strategy in alleviating their main medical issues and gives them an overall better sense of well-being.
Massages used to only be available at spas and were viewed as a luxury item at a high cost but what if you could enjoy this service in the comfort of your own home delivered from a family member or in a Retirement Community or Long-Term Care Home provided by a Personal Support Worker at a reduced cost?
Specialized on line training programs such as the one offered at Canadian Lifecare Institute are now available and provide tutorials on how to provide a safe professional massage. Tutorials are educational and expand on proper methods and techniques, but also include information such as addressing physiologic and anatomic changes caused by aging. A certification is issued at the end of the course which entitles those who enroll to provide calming massages in a variety of settings for a reasonable cost.
By: Yvonne Dobronyi