tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-1250480 2008-07-10T09:25:32-07:00 Elder treatment and care. TypePad tag:mpamedia.com,2008:post-14176 2010-03-01T12:00:32-07:00 2010-03-01T12:00:07-07:00

It is likely that at some point, someone you know - a grandparent, parent, sibling, friend, neighbor or client - will suffer a stroke. It is one leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. I've met literally hundreds of stroke survivors while working as an occupational therapist in rehabilitation programs, and my grandfather suffered a stroke when I was a child. Even though I've had all this experience, the one thing that stands out as challenging, yet critically important, is communication. The topic of stroke, or cerebral vascular accident, is very complex, and people who suffer a stroke commonly experience physical, behavioral and communication effects.

By Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR It is likely that at some point, someone you know - a grandparent, parent, sibling, friend, neighbor or client - will suffer a stroke. It is one leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. I've met literally hundreds of stroke survivors while working as an occupational therapist in rehabilitation programs, and my grandfather suffered a stroke when I was a child. Even though I've had all this experience, the one thing that stands out as challenging, yet critically important, is communication. The topic of stroke, or cerebral vascular accident, is very complex, and people who suffer a stroke commonly experience physical, behavioral and communication effects. tag:mpamedia.com,2008:post-14149 2010-01-01T12:00:32-07:00 2010-01-01T12:00:07-07:00

For most of my adult life I have interacted with people in later life stages living with debilitating conditions. Things like: brain injury, hip fracture, stroke, hearing loss, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and frailty. Interacting with a person with any of these conditions can be challenging. For example, their speech may be slurred, or they may be confused or talk about their grief and sadness. It has been my experience that one-to-one focused massage sessions tend to invite people to open up about their circumstances. It's not always easy to know how to respond properly. I've learned that communication doesn't start with special techniques or the "right" way to respond. It begins with authentically listening.

By Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR For most of my adult life I have interacted with people in later life stages living with debilitating conditions. Things like: brain injury, hip fracture, stroke, hearing loss, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and frailty. Interacting with a person with any of these conditions can be challenging. For example, their speech may be slurred, or they may be confused or talk about their grief and sadness. It has been my experience that one-to-one focused massage sessions tend to invite people to open up about their circumstances. It's not always easy to know how to respond properly. I've learned that communication doesn't start with special techniques or the "right" way to respond. It begins with authentically listening. tag:mpamedia.com,2008:post-14118 2009-11-01T12:00:32-07:00 2009-11-01T12:00:07-07:00

"What supplies should I take with me?" I've been asked this question a lot over the years by massage therapists anticipating work in eldercare or hospice settings. This situation is far different from having an office space with all your supplies conveniently available. Anyone who has ever offered massage at an offsite location can attest to this while lugging bags of supplies, not to mention a massage table, to the site. While you won't need to lug a massage table around when working with people in nursing homes or in hospice care, you will need certain essential items to make it a success. So just what should you take?

By Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR "What supplies should I take with me?" I've been asked this question a lot over the years by massage therapists anticipating work in eldercare or hospice settings. This situation is far different from having an office space with all your supplies conveniently available. Anyone who has ever offered massage at an offsite location can attest to this while lugging bags of supplies, not to mention a massage table, to the site. While you won't need to lug a massage table around when working with people in nursing homes or in hospice care, you will need certain essential items to make it a success. So just what should you take?