Hospice care is designed to support dying at home, a wish that is expressed by a vast majority of people. Because our work is to meet clients where they are, this means providing massage in home settings – houses, condos, apartments, and trailers. These environments...
Multiple studies suggest that one simple strategy at the bedside can improve patient perception of the care we provide. Providers who sit down at the patient’s eye level are reported by patients to: -establish better rapport -show more compassion -seem less rushed and less intimidating....
I recently had a unique experience that I’m apparently holding on to more than I should. I received a massage therapy referral for a 71-year-old pancreatic cancer patient. When I receive a referral, the patient has been vetted by the attending RN and the patient...
Last Wednesday afternoon, I received a phone call with the shocking news that a dear friend and colleague had died unexpectedly. He was out of town with his beloved wife when he collapsed on the stairs at a museum, dying instantly of a massive heart...
I arrive at the home at the scheduled time to provide massage for a cancer patient and his caregiver. Patient is resting so I begin by massaging the caregiver, his wife. We do the intake, start the music, put bergamot essential oil in her diffuser,...
I recently entered a patient’s room just as he was drawing his last breath. This lovely man had been my patient for only two weeks. But it was clear that he was an extraordinary person, and I adored his sweet family as well. The nurse...
The Activity I recently had the opportunity to participate in a Virtual Dementia Tour. Here’s how it worked: I signed a waiver and walked into a dimly lit room. Upon entering I see several tables as in a conference-type room. Four were positioned for the...
By the time we meet many of our clients, they’ve lost a lot. They may have lost their hair, their muscle mass, their breasts, their jobs, their mobility, their independence, control of their bladders, control of their bowels, the ability to speak for themselves. They...
She didn’t look like she needed to be in bed. But there she sat, texting on her cell phone, fully dressed in country club attire. Sharon, in her late 70’s, had piercing blue eyes, a healthy tan and a megawatt smile. When I introduced myself...
One of the most poignant things about working with people who are sick or dying is bearing witness to the great tenderness that can exist between those people and their caregivers. Caregivers come in all shapes, sizes and flavors: male, female, quiet, noisy, trained by...
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