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Has anyone gotten their LO a massage? Would they need to be certified in geriatric massage? Is there such a thing? My mother is so frail, I'm afraid of doing more harm than good. However , she is just full of anxiety. I really want her to relax her tired body and mind.

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Read a little about craniosacral massage therapy. That may be what you are looking for.
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You would of course need to find someone who understands working with the ill or elderly is not the same as working with the general public, even if they are not certified in geriatric massage. Is your mom someone who used to enjoy going to the spa for regular massages? If she was then she might enjoy it, if not she may find the intimacy of a massage is not something she is comfortable with, but  she might like some of the alternative therapies like reflexology.
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My daughter is a Certified Massage Therapist and she received an email from her school offering a class for this very type of massage. While she was in school they had a few days where they went to a hospital to do massages on patients. Now certain patients and even people who are not in facilities cannot receive a massage, that’s why there is paperwork that is filled out on first visit. The Residents wouldn’t lay on a table, just maybe lay in the bed. Could be good for circulation and even if it’s a light rub it would be relaxing. In my CNA class we learned how to do a back rub, a light figure eight. My Residents loved that.
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My husband's doctor OK'd him for massage, and we signed up at a local parlor. When his assigned therapist came out to get him, I thought, "OMG! She'll kill him!" She was very strong-looking and muscular, and she was the one who did deep massages. But she was very gentle with him, and he absolutely loved the experience. I tried to take him once a week or so.
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My daughter is petite and has small hands, but she gets a lot of compliments on her strength from people who want Deep Tissue. Massage helped me so much when I was selling my mom’s house, I had so many knots in my upper back and shoulders.
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Craniosacral massage has the weight of a nickel when applied. It’s excellent for infants and elderly. Find a therapist that will start there. Be careful to have your mom drink extra water as massage releases toxins. She will be tired afterwards but it’s a great idea.
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My father had massage provided by hospice - it made him much more comfortable. I think she did a variety of gentle massage, but also did lymphatic drainage massage which is extremely gentle. He was initially uncertain as to having a massage but afterwards felt so much better so he kept having them weekly.
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I remember reading that Bob Hope got a massage well into his 90s to keep his circulation going

I use a warm pack on mom's sore shoulders and hips and I give her a light massage using coconut oil before she falls asleep once or twice a week -

I know her memory care will arrange for a message therapist but anything but the lightest touch would be too much for her
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My mom was complaining about a back ache. We tried everything, hot bath, massage tools, etc. Finally took her for a massage, which she enjoyed, but it did not help the back ache. Then took her to the doc to get checked out. Thought he may prescribe something for her back. Nope. She had a UTI and was prescribed antibiotics, then the backache went away.
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My Mother was very frail too and through a grant our Hospice got,they offered Mother massages through Compassionate Touch.The lady came 1-2 times a week and massaged Mother's legs and back and arms and hands and Mother would finally relax.
It really helped my Mother a lot. I hope you can find this help as well.Good luck~
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Thanks everyone. I like the idea of using hospice based therapists. I just think they would be best suited at serving the geriatric population. So does that mean she'd have to be enrolled in hospice to receive just that service or could she just private pay ?
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Carolellen.
My Mother was on Hospice when she had her massages and got them through the Hospice company Mother had but I know the lady that helped my Mother also had other clients and one was a girl who'd been in a horrible wreck years ago and this lady had been giving her massages for years and she wasn't on Hospice...Maybe if you call some Hospice companies in your area,they might know someone who does massages privately.I think it is wonderful you are trying to do this for your Mother and she is lucky to have you. Take good care~Lu.
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Reiki provides great healing touch. Can only be done by person who is certified to do reiki.
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Massaging hands myself w oil or lotion was really nice for my mother.
Not only created relaxation yet also helped us to connect and bond.

I would wash and then soak my parent's feet in warm water then give them a gentle massage and lotion them up (AL has a tendency not to pay attention to feet).

Elders aren't keen on jumping up on a massage table...my parents couldn't comfortably lay down on their stomachs, nor did it feel safe for them, being off the ground like that.
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I thought about that for my mom but never followed through. I wasn't sure she'd be comfortable with someone massaging her since she never got one as an adult. You've gotten some great answers about how to approach it.

What I did instead that she enjoyed was getting manicures. She'd gab to the manicure lady the whole time - repeating her stories every five minutes. I always tipped very well. She loved looking at her bright red nails for weeks afterward. My mom always had great nails into her mid-90s. Me, I'm 67 and I can't grow a fingernail out to save my life, LOL! I also tried a facial for mom, but that was kind of a bust. She forgot it five minutes later.

Good luck on finding some relaxing treatments for your mom.
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Think the massage must be tailored to the patient. Would expect professional massage therapists know what to do. There is a massage therapist in my hospice volunteer group who provides massages to our frail clients.
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All very helpful 😊!
Thank you EVERYONE 😘
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Just want to put in a word for aromatherapy, too. Even if full massage is too much, the right scent can be a real morale booster in the hands of a qualified therapist.
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The lady that helped my Mother used essential oils and special lotion she brought with her and I would put on some light music and turn down the lights and keep the tv off. I wanted it to be quiet so Mom would relax.Mother laid in her liftchair and the lady and I would reposition Mother as the lady needed to get to certain areas and the lady always asked Mother if she wanted her back to be bare or if she wanted to keep her robe on.Mother loved it bareback mostly.We also used extra pillows around Mother's body too. I think the power of Touch is so important for everyone.
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Absolutely. I am a certified massage practitioner and have two elders: 93 and 94.
The key is to focus on gentle intentional touch - for connection and relaxation - read about Oxytocins - the "feel good' hormone. It is important you hire someone who knows what they are doing (certified) and that a detailed history by the practitioner be taken - and you/the practitioner should get MD written authorization. Light touch can be extremely beneficial - w/the right personality of the practitioner (kind, sensitive, taking things as slow as necessary). However, there are counter-indicators (WHEN NOT TO DO MASSAGE) that a practitioner needs to be aware of - thus the detailed history and MD authorization. Gena
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