Chair Like Massage with Elders

[pizza_pies159753]

The Las Cruces Senior Messenger
(Jul/Aug)issue, published an excellent article written by Francesca Smith, LBSW, Long-Term Care Manager. In her article she describes our touch program and invites others to join us.
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Have You Experienced the Benefits of the 15-Minute StressOut Yet? by Francesca Smith, LBSW, Long-Term Care Manager & Certified Team Member

In the March issue of the Messenger there was an article about the Health Promotion Team, whose purpose was to establish a program at all centers where seniors could receive a 15-MINUTE STRESSOUT by a certified volunteer and experience skillful, safe and nourishing touch that facilitates relaxation, but more importantly, decreases the feelings of loneliness and isolation. We have accomplished that part of the project. You may have seen NMSU Professor Emeritus Gerald Vest with other volunteers and experienced the StressOut yourself.

On a wider scale, the Health Promotion Team is hoping to extend the program into the community to support the lonely and isolated elderly population and caregivers in Southern NM. The Team currently consists of Jerry Vest, who designed the program; RSVP Program Coordinator Aurora Ybarra, who sponsors and serves as an advisor of the program; In Home Services Manager Francesca Smith and Cher Guerrero, Recreation Specialist, who serve as advisors; and Judith Bartlett and Liz Ambrose, who serve as volunteer Co-Team Leaders.

Professor Vest's Stress Out Program has been published in professional journals and books. Research has shown that the touch program was successful in alleviating pain and suffering and reducing blood sugar levels with diabetic patients. There was also a successful follow-up program with persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease living in nursing homes in southern New Mexico. Professor Vest's team discovered that patients who received the Stress Out on a regular basis were less likely to wander and their anxiety was remarkably decreased.

Jerry has been studying and practicing alternative healing for over 35 years. In this time he learned that the attitudes and behaviors of Health and Social Welfare professionals towards the use of touch was not in sync with their code of ethics and gidelines. His focus is to educate professionals and others on the importance of touch as a basic human need and essential to the human experience. Without it, people become hostile, angry, aggressive and depressed.

Jerry and other volunteers are giving the 15 Minute Stress Outs weekly at each center, on the following schedule:

Eastside: Thurs. 10-11
Mesilla Park: Tues. 10-11
Munson: Wed. 9-11
Benavidez: Mon.10-11

Come and experience the 15-Minute StressOut. You will be invigorated and relaxed. You may even want to give the "chair like" massage yourself. You only have to give six StressOuts to get certified. And if you want to join the volunteer team, your participation would be a great addition. If you are interested in volunteering, talk with Jerry when he is at the sites, or call Francesca Smith at (505)541-2460, Cher Guerrero at (505)528-3005, or Aurora Ybarra at (505)528-3000. http://pages.zdnet.com/jerryvest

 

[kaynoxdemon]

Our Global Touch Project

"As Dr. Luce says, it is not the years themselves that diminish us. It is the way we have learned to live them, giving up a little of our true selves at each step. In our culture we lack a tradition of self-development for the elderly: what we have instead is a tradition of not-so-benign neglect and uselessness. This is supported by the established mythology relating to aging. (p.203, Growing Young, Ashley Moneforum.xxxu)"

This is an update on our teams in southern New Mexico and west Texas who are giving our 15-Minute StressOut Program in health clinics and nursing homes regularly. Two of our team leaders from our New Mexico State University, Social Work with Elders Class report on our "StressOut Forum" on their recent experiences introducing our program in nursing homes with Alzheimer residents.

I am so very proud of our students, seniors, nursing faculty and the staff of nursing homes for their courage in giving safe, skillful and nourishing touch with their residents and in our health clinics. As we know, touch has been forbidden in most education, health and human service programs for fear of abuse issues, but our program is given openly with large groups receiving it, so there is no possibility of anyone straying from our guidelines.

Jerry

You and I have talked, and we know where we each stand on things. Whatever minor differences we may have on certain issues, I gotta hand it to you -- your Stress-Out program is a huge success at Good Samaritan. Today, we (Sharieffa, Robin, Marybeth, Crystal, you and I) did the massage with a small group of Alzheimer's residents in the Special Care Unit (SCU).

Later in the day, after you guys had gone, the head of the SCU came up to me, totally unsolicited, and asked if we could do that on a very regular basis (maybe every week). She had been a bit skeptical last week, but today she said she was amazed at the results, and that she had never seen all of them so calm at this point in the day.

Also, the Activities Director for the rest of the Good Sam population has already scheduled another Stress-Out for this Wednesday; I almost didn't find out. She said she was so impressed with the results from last time, that she also wants to make it a regular thing, using the girls that work with her, and any certified person who wants to come help.

So anyway, this will clearly be a lot more than just once a month as originally planned. I'd like to invite anyone from class to come help out on Stress-Out days (I'll let the class know when they're happening. One is this Wednesday.)

Also, I know you left the music CD with me, but they were still playing it hours later in the SCU, and I was told by the head of the unit that she kept it on because she felt it had a very beneficial, calming effect on the residents. So, I just let them keep it!

Seth

Linda Schaberg, RN, is instructor for our New Mexico State University,
community health nursing class that provides "stressouts" in our city of Las Cruces diabetic clinics and offers training programs for seniors and care-givers to learn how to give our chair type massage. Linda responds to Seth's message and this research article:

I am happy to read this article because I can see that researchers are starting to listen to others about the subject of touch. Here is America we have gotten so far away from touching others that we are now probably the most untouched society on the face of the earth. I have always believed in the power of touch and what it can do for someone who is hurting, sad, lonely, and deteriorating in a nursing home environment. We have gotten to the point that we cannot touch children or someone will say we are molesting them. It is my hope that we who are in favor and excited about the power of touch can turn America back to when it was ok to hug a child, and touch someone without there being some hidden meaning behind the touch. I believe this will lessen sickness, loneliness, will ease pain and promote healing in a way that has never before been seen in the medical profession. With the researchers and the medical profession recognizing the power of touch perhaps we can return healing touch to the healthcare profession where it can be utilized by those who are the recipients as well as those who will be providing it.

Thank you so much for what you are teaching us about the power of touch and how it can be used to promote well care instead of the sick care we have been dealing with for so long.

Linda

Just when we think it can't get any better, Cat, our team leader for the Alamogordo, NM stressout team, shares her team experience with giving our program with Alzheimer residents in this community:

The elders and the employees at Casa Arena (in Alamo) are also very responsive to the Stress-Outs. I have to admit, in the beginning, I was a little skeptical about the impact that we would have on the individuals that we would be working with. It’s hard to believe, but I immediately saw the positive impact that we had and could potentially continue to have in the future. The experience that opened my eyes was real encouraging for me.

I was working with one woman, Ms. Anita (an Alzheimer patient), and I was trying to engage her in some friendly conversation, but she wasn’t responsive. In fact she specifically said, “I just want to relax.” So I respected her wishes and continued with the stress out. But she came around mid-way through. She began telling me of her childhood and how her dad would do wood working when she was a child. I am not sure what triggered such thoughts, but Ms. Anita was definitely happy. She was beaming as she recalled these pleasant thoughts. I know for a fact that it had something to do with the Stress-Outs. It allowed us to gain a connection—through the power of touch. It’s definitely moving to be able to lift the spirits of others and make them feel better.

To my fellow classmates, please continue to keep up the hard work. I know that it is hard with all of the commitments that we have and our busy schedules, but this is of great value for both the giver and the receiver. Our work does not go unnoticed or and it is greatly appreciated. : )

Cat

As a global project with the New Civilization Network , we are continuing to advance the use of touch with elders and to serve as a model program for other communities around the world to hook up with us. Together we will help to improve the quality of lives, health and relationships for all those we serve and touch. Do join us. As one of my teachers so aptly put it: "Don't wait for the bus, it may never arrive."

Shortly after posting this log, I received an excellent note from one of our other team leaders in Alomogordo, NM who has been giving 'stressouts' with Altzheimer's patients in nursing homes. This is her experience as she describes it:


Dear Friends,

Alzheimer's is a very sad disease. Just knowing there is no cure and for those who have this dreadful disease no hope for a future. As I have been working in the nursing home giving stress outs to people with Alzheimer's I have become more aware of it's devastating effect on a person.

I know there is no cure but I do believe that the touch we have been giving to those we have been working with has made them feel a little more alive that they did before we started. I saw a lady who had not been talking very much start talking and telling me all about her childhood. She then told another worker all about dancing and having fun. It was good to see her come as alive and alert as she could. She told us that she was having a very good day and that she was very happy. That made us happy as well.

I truly believe that touch can alleviate some of the effects of the disease and can make the remainder of the lives of those with the disease more comfortable and tolerable. It reminds me of the song of years past, "Reach out and touch somebody's hand and make this world a better place if you can". We can and we should!

Linda

I only wish that I could post more pictures of our participants, but we don't want to do it without their permission. However, we are now giving over 150 stressouts a week with our elders in nursing homes, health clinics, in-home care and other elder and caregiver programs.

Do visit our homepage for more information about how you can become certified and team member in your community.

http://jerryvest.pages.web.com

 

[cherry kitty]

150 a week! That's huge! I'm so glad you're keeping us updated about the Stress-Outs, Jerry.

 

[Stone 8]

Summer Update - Global Touch Project with Elders

Global Touch Project - Update

"So, to a significant extent, longevity and the quality of health are conditions that are within our control. That is the main conclusion of all studies devoted to the matter, to wit; that our personal health must be our personal responsibility, and not something we leave to the physician." (_Growing Young_, Ashley Moneforum.xxxu)

Introduction

I designed this 'healthy touch' program, in collaboration with the Associated Students Organization - New Mexico State University (NMSU), Health Promotion Team, NMSU School of Social Work and the Family Preservation Institute, as one alternative for improving health and wellbeing in our university, society and beyond. After giving over 10,000 "stressouts" over a 10 year period, we learned that the 'stressout program' is safe to use with all populations. We use our skillful touch program with individuals, groups, couples, and families.

This program also introduces and teaches mindfulness as an intrinsic awareness program for givers and our receivers of touch and meets basic human needs for physical interaction. Earlier this year I posted an update describing our work with elders and our Global Touch Project as we want to use this intervention around the world to support the health and wellbeing of others, especially our elders who are often ignored, lonely and isolated.


Dear team members and friends,

This is a summer report on our stressouts in our health clinics for April, May, June and July. Earlier, I sent an update describing our work while giving over 3,800 stressouts in health clinics and other senior resources averaging about 150 chair type massages a week.

During the past four months, Elizabeth Frost, Ann Twohig and I gave 270 stressouts at Mesilla Park, Eastside and Munson diabetic clinics. Francesca Smith and Imelda Chacon introduced our program and gave orientation/training programs with the staff at Village at Northrise and with the Herrieforum.xxxe nursing homes. Do contact Francesca if you would like to have a training program in your area--her team is very experienced and knowledgeable about working with elders. Special thanks to Cher Gurerrero for maintaining our statististical reports and for her work with our team.

I know that others in our global network are also giving stressouts, so please let me know about your work in advancing the use of safe, skillful and nourishing touch with individuals, groups and communities. I would also like to include any comments, experiences and evaluations that you receive on our web site.

The "Good Samaritan Terrace Times," Aug/2007, published a very excellent article, with pictures, describing the numerous StressOuts our NMSU, "Social Work Practice with Elders," class gave during our Spring term. I posted this article along with others on our website, so do visit us regularly and encourage others to join with us in improving the quality of lives, health and relationships with elders. "15-Minute StressOut Program." http://jerryvest/pages.web.com

We are preparing for Professor Linda Schaberg's nursing classes to begin their work with our elders during the Fall semester and we are eager to extend our work into all of the nursing facilities in our service area and New Mexico as an ongoing activity.

Thanks for staying-in-touch. Come and join with us and become part of our growing health program.

Best wishes,

Jerry

Note:

If you wish to be a volunteer, schedule an in-service training program in your agency or know of care-givers and others who may be interested in learning our safe, skillful and nourishing touch program for all populations, please let us know. We will help you develop your workshops and send you a free DVD and Power Point outline.

 

[even]

Update of our Global StressOut Program - Come Join Us!

Dear fellow body workers and integrative health practitioners,

Do let us know if you wish to join our Global Touch Project with Elders. We are looking for volunteers who wish to go into nursing homes and other settings where elders are often housed without healthy, nourishing touch. This past season we gave about 4,000 'stressouts' and helped our seniors experience physical interaction and from all of the reports, we improved their lives as well as the envirnonments that they are managed.

Do visit our Global Touch homepage to see our progress and team members. We would love to add more massage therapists, integrative health practitioners and body workers to our listing of team members. WE only ask that they follow our "Guidelines for the Safe Use of Touch and our Protocol."

Best wishes....and, know that what you do for society is enormously beneficial and helps others meet their basic need requirements for receiving touch. We do have a reciprocal basic human need to also offer opportunities for others to "give nourishing touch--partner touch." See our website for details: http://jerryvest.pages.web.com

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September 16 - 15-Minute StressOut Program - Team Update!!!

Dear Partners and Friends,

I thought that you would be interested in this Washington Post article in today's front page story. We are starting our new Fall Semester and have both good and disappointing news. The good news is that we have 7 social work students from Felipe Peralta's "Intro. to Social Work Class" joining our team and working with Francesca's and Imelda's in-home care program and in nursing homes. We are hoping others will follow their example as they see how benefical touch can be for both the givers and receivers of our "stressout program." Ann and I are still giving about 20 stressouts every Tuesday and Wednesday at Mesilla Park and Munson.

We can use some givers to help the growing demand for our services.
I am also pleased to learn that I will be teaching the "Social Work Practice with Elders" this Spring at New Mexico State University, so do pass the word that our BSW course is open to our wider community.

Certainly our strengths outnumber our disappointments as Francesca Smith and Imelda Chacon are launching their training for the Las Cruces In-Home Care Staff and they will be administering and teaching our stressout in nursing home. If you know of seniors and others interested in joining our teams, do let us know so that we can get them going right away.

Our disappointing news is that Professor Linda Schaberg, RN is not teaching the NMSU community nursing course this semester and her replacement has chosen other options for her students. I understand that they will have many more nursing students coming out to the community in the Spring term so perhaps they will join us then. We miss you Linda. Your classes were the greatest and we know how much your students enjoyed their touch experience these past 2 years. Your instruction and supporting the student's opportunity to learn to give healthy touch, administer a senior training program and conduct research was a model that should be continued in every senior program throughout the country.

Also, Elizabeth Frost, long time body worker, is no longer giving stressouts in the East Side Center, so do help us find a replacement for her. Elizabeth contributed an enormous amount of energy and service to our program and we will miss her.

I will be sending out other notices as we build our momentum. Do visit our website http://jerryvest.pages.web.com and send me pictures and articles that you would like our team members to view. Also, I am continuing to update a "Discussion Group with Elders" on our Delphi Forum that includes articles, recommendations, and discussions. This forum serves as a supplemental resource for our social work class - http://forums.delphiforums.com/stressout

Finally, I have posted a listing of coming events on our Global Touch web-page and would love to add your announcements here - http://jerryvest.pages.web.com/id14.html


Thanks for advancing the use of touch,

Jerry

 

[prtyyngthng]

Volunteers Needed Throughout the World- Come Join our New Civilization, Global Touch Project - Humanity Needs Us Now!

Global Touch Program

Our Las Cruces Health Promotion Team with Elders would like to introduce and teach you to give the 15-Minute StressOut Program with Elders—a program designed to give ethical, safe, skillful, and nourishing touch with elders.

Our StressOut Program Experience is often described as Beyond Words!!!

Using acupressure and other skillful techniques, coordinated with the breath to balance our body, mind, emotions and spirit, is a heartfelt or empathic experience for both the giver and receiver of this partner massage.

While systematically applying pressure points and introducing the 'laying-on-of-hands,' we ask that givers and receivers maintain an awareness of their breath throughout the activity. While we refer to our "stressout program" as a chair like massage, it may be more accurate to describe the mindful experience as a partner meditation - relaxing, yet energetic (See 15-Minute StressOut Program - http://jerryvest.pages.web.com )

During this past year, our volunteers – seniors, NMSU social work, nursing and health science students, caregivers, in-home care workers, senior staff, and others gave over 3,800 “stressouts”(chair-like massage) in nursing homes, diabetic health clinics, day care and in-home care services.

REQUIREMENTS:
1) Volunteer for minimum of 2 hours per week in one of the settings identified;

2) Participate in orientation and training session;

3) Administer (6)stressouts with friends, family, colleagues, others;

4) Report (6)evaluations of your work.

RECEIVE:

1) Free Instructional DVD, Protocol & Guidelines for the Ethical Use of Safe, Skillful and Nourishing Touch;

2) Partnership & Certification in our healthy touch organization committed to advancing the quality of lives, health and relationships of elders on a global scale; http://www.newciv.org

3) An exchange of energy and good will knowing that you have contributed through skillful touch to help support the basic human need requirements for elders and others to live a healthy, dignified and respectful life.

CONTACT:
Jerry Vest, ACSW/LISW/LMT, Professor Emeritus, New Mexico State University, School of Social Work, (505)524-2379 and email: geraldvest@comcast.net

or


Francesca Smith, LBSW, City of Las Cruces, In-Home Services Manager, (505) 541-2460 and email: fsmith@las-cruces.org

SEE ATTACHMENTS included in our Homepage – http://jerryvest.pages.web.com

1) Protocol

2) Ethical Guidelines for Safe, Skillful and Nourishing Touch

3) Partner Certificate (example)

4) Good Samaritan News

NOTE:

The American Diabetes Association selected our research article, "Alternative Health Practices in Ethnically Diverse Rural Areas," using the "15-Minute StressOut Program" as the primary intervention, with diabetic patients and their families as “Best Practice Research” during the past decade.(See Abstract No.8--point & click on this link)

Become a Global Partner-

If you wish to be a volunteer, schedule an in-service training program in your agency/community or know of care-givers and others who may be interested in learning our ethical, safe, skillful and nourishing touch program for all populations, please let us know.

We will help you develop your orientation workshop/training program and send you a free Instructional DVD and Power Point Program Outline. We suggest that our volunteers/givers, give a minimum of 2 hours a week of skillful touch-"stressouts." After meeting our requirements and submiting your evaluations, we will add your name to our list of "certified team members."

This request may not be realistic for licensed massage therapists to join and give free "stressouts" because you must earn a living for giving expert massage therapy. Our program uses techniques that do not require licensing and our program is offered as a free public service.

As a suggestion, you may find that some of your clients may wish to give our chair type massage to support the wellbeing of our elders and others in nursing homes who can not afford professional massage and who are rarely touched or nourished with physical interaction. Please visit our homepage and our Global Touch Project and share it with others who love touch and wish to exchange their energy with others.