By: Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR | Monday, March 1, 2010
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 amore »
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By: Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR | Friday, January 1, 2010
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 theymore »
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By: Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR | Sunday, November 1, 2009
"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 whilemore »
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By: Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR | Tuesday, September 1, 2009
What does the literature say? Mary, an 81-year-old female, has resided in a nursing home for seven months. Her medical history reveals that she has Alzheimer's disease; anxiety (state unspecified); dementia with behavior disorder; insomnia; osteoarthritis; osteoporosis; and recurrent urinary tract infections. She requires a wheelchair because she no longermore »
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By: Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR | Wednesday, July 1, 2009
What would Maslow say? It has been said that in 25 years, the United States will have two kinds of people: those who have Alzheimer's disease and those who are caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease. Dementia is a term meaning loss of memory and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's is the most commonmore »
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By: Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR | Wednesday, April 1, 2009
In part one of this series on hospice massage, I explored how massage eases the many dimensions of pain for the person suffering from a life-limiting illness. The value of massage therapy in pain management is an easy association to make. We feel confident in our role of easing pain and can point to concrete reasons why we know massage is beneficial. Butmore »
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By: Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR | Sunday, March 1, 2009
A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of spending a few days at a residential hospice in Washington, D.C. called Joseph's House; I was there to conduct a workshop for the staff. While I was there to teach, in the process I learnedso much about dying with dignity. You see, Joseph's House takes in and cares for homeless men and women with terminalmore »
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By: Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR | Thursday, January 1, 2009
A Symposium to Expand Your Practice and Open Your Heart For the past eight years, I have had the privilege of serving elders in facility care and hospice, as well as teaching others how to provide care through touch and massage. I dedicate this column to assisting anyone desiring a similar path of service and invite you to the 2009 Hand in Hand Symposiummore »
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By: Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR | Monday, September 1, 2008
Do you serve older adults in your practice? Regardless of whether you see your elder clients in your office, a long-term care facility or at their home, being able to communicate effectively can increase your confidence and make the experience more enjoyable for both of you.
Communication is our way of exchanging information, but more importantly, it's ourmore »
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By: Ann Catlin, LMT, NCTMB, OTR | Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Last month, in part one of this article, we explored the typical changes that occur in physical and mental condition and function as people age. If you serve older adults in your practice, it's important to have a working understanding of signs and symptoms that might point to an underlying disease.
Although we certainly aren't in the role of diagnosing anymore »
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