Why Compassionate Touch training? Compassionate Touch is a hands-on complementary approach for those in eldercare, hospice and palliative care. It combines focused touch and sensitive massage with specialized communication skills to help enhance the quality of life for those in later life stages. Our training empowers massage therapists and other health professionals to serve this expanding population with confidence and to celebrate the mutual benefits of this uplifting work. Why now? According to the American Medical Association ~In 2011, America's 78 million baby boomers will begin turning 65 at a rate of one every 10 seconds. The American Massage Therapy Association states that the use of massage among those 65 and older has tripled in the past decade. Now is the perfect time! www.compassionate-touch.org 610 E. University Springfield, MO 65807 417-844-8514
What is Compassionate Touch? Compassionate Touch is a hands-on complementary approach for people involved in eldercare, hospice and palliative care. More than a set of techniques and skills, it is a whole new way of thinking that will help you bring true change to the lives of people for whom caring touch is just a memory. It combines one-on-one focused attention, intentional touch and sensitive massage with specialized communication skills to help enhance quality of life for those in later life stages. Our comprehensive training empowers caregivers of all kinds massage therapists and other health professionals, volunteers, and loving family member to discover the transformative effects of skilled touch in caring for individuals in: Long term care facilities Hospice and palliative care Alzheimer's disease care settings Hospitals Home care The is an organization that provides Compassionate Touch training internationally. Services of the organization include continuing education workshops; on-site staff training in long term care facilities and hospices; consulting services for program development; on-line courses; and instructional DVD s. Our Mission: The seeks to improve quality of life by reclaiming the human touch in caregiving. We honor, embrace, and champion the mutual benefit derived from being of service to our elders in facility care and those at the end of life. To achieve our mission we: Offer training and mentoring to massage therapists, health professionals, and other caregivers Empower caregivers by affirming their inherent ability to be a therapeutic presence to others. Partner with kindred individuals, organizations and institutions to uplift the lives and the communities we serve. Our Vision is a world where a healing presence in the form of touch is commonplace and every elder, ill and dying person has access to the benefits of Compassionate Touch.
Our Services Regardless of the kind of healthcare professional, caregiver, or organization you are- -we have services designed just for you. Level 1 Workshop: This 20- hour workshop is for massage therapists and health professionals who wish to serve individuals in long-term care or hospice. Level 2 Certified Practitioner Training: This 35- hour advanced course is for massage therapists who wish to make Compassionate Touch a primary practice and for healthcare professionals who want to incorporate Compassionate Touch in their work with individuals in eldercare facilities, hospice or other care settings. Massage School Seminars: 3 and 6-hour introductory seminars empower massage therapists with the confidence to discover the rewards of serving this growing special population. Our seminars for massage therapy schools are suitable for both students and experienced therapists alike. Conference Presentations: We are dedicated to providing interesting, practical, and thoughtprovoking presentation for your event. Consulting: We will guide you in program development and implementation and provide coaching for successful practice building. One on one coaching services: We will provide coaching for practitioners and other caregivers who are ready to expand their practices and desire additional support Eldercare and hospice on-site staff training: We offer customized training for eldercare and hospice organizations. This hands-on workshop is designed to empower caregivers of all kinds with the knowledge, skills, and sensitivity to immediately incorporate Compassionate Touch into daily care routines. Includes train-the-trainer instruction. "The value of the training and its implementation for those at the end of life, in pain or with dementia has been incredible." Vicki Gillmore,RN, PhD, NHA Masonic Village-Elizabethtown, PA When your staff is trained in Compassionate Touch your organization gains: A progressive program that affirms your organization s mission A marketing edge that sets your facility/organization apart A modality that meets requirements for one-toone bedside activities An effective non-pharmacological approach for managing challenging behaviors and easing pain Increased customer and employee satisfaction Staff training options include: 1. Compassionate Touch as Therapeutic Recreation. 2. Compassionate Touch in Dementia Care.. 3. Compassionate Touch in End of Life Care. For years, our hospice has witnessed the powerful impact of touch and massage in providing comfort, compassion, and improving the quality of life. The quality trainings offered by Compassionate Touch are exclusively tailored to meet the unique needs of elders and people in hospice and palliative care. ~Kathleen Egan-City, Executive Director, Suncoast Institute at the Suncoast Hospice
Who benefits from Compassionate Touch Training? Massage Therapists desiring to expand services to individuals in eldercare or hospice settings. Nurses and Nurse Assistants who want to find a nonpharmacological approach to reduces pain and manage challenging behavior. Social Workers and Chaplains who wish to enhance communication skills. Therapeutic Recreation and Activity Specialists searching for meaningful one-to-one bedside activities. Nursing Home Administrators and Hospice Directors wanting to learn about an innovative, low cost complementary approach that meets a growing need. After receiving training in Compassionate Touch, staff was more confident and had heightened anticipation of providing an additional dimension to improve quality of life for our residents. Providing Compassionate Touch therapy to elders and hospice patients as a skilled intervention is providing an additional level of comfort and allows one-on-one focused attention with the resident. I enthusiastically recommend Compassionate Touch to anyone wanting to improve the quality of life for their residents in a non-pharmacological approach. Donald Spalding, Executive Director, Buena Vida Estates, West Melbourne, FL Occupational and Physical Therapists searching for meaningful ways to relate to their patients. Hospice Professionals and Volunteers looking for effective ways to become a compassionate caregiver while easing suffering at end of life. We have a unique approach to training! Compassionate Touch workshops are held in eldercare facilities for hands-on experience. I have been in practice 20 years. Compassionate Touch enhances the way I connect with all my clients. Randa Cherry, LMT Continuing Education Credits The has been approved as a Continuing Education provider for massage therapy by NCBTMB and the Florida Board of Massage Therapy. Participants successfully completing courses will receive a certificate of completion. Our training may satisfy requirements for other professions. Compassionate Touch workshops have created a new standard of excellence for bodywork practitioners to be ready to meet the needs of a growing population of people with complex and overlapping health challenges. ~Ruth Werner, President of the Massage Therapy Foundation; author of A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology
A Sampling of Training Hosts Missouri The Neighborhoods at Quail Creek, Springfield Magnolia Square Nursing and Rehab Center, Springfield Iowa Meth-wick Community, Cedar Rapids Florida The Mayflower Retirement Community Waterman Villages, Mount Dora Winter Park Towers, Winter Park Harbour s Edge, Delray Beach Buena Vida Estates, West Melbourne Illinois Saint Matthew Center for Health, Park Ridge Oregon Rose Villa, Portland Washington Columbia Lutheran Home Connecticut West Hartford Health and Rehabilitation Center We have engaged audiences at these national and state events: American Association of Services and Homes for the Aged (AASHA) National Convention Missouri Healthcare Association Florida State Massage Therapy Association American Massage Therapy Association chapter state conferences Health Ministries Association Conference Missouri Summit on Aging Pennsylvania Therapeutic Recreation Institute North Dakota Long Term Care Association Missouri League for Nursing Compassionate Touch really opened doors for me! The hospice I now work for hired me because of that specialized training! ~Janet Ziegler, LMT, Compassionate Touch Practitioner Streamwood, Illinois Rhode Island West View Health Care Center, West Warwick We proudly created the pioneering event Hand in Hand 2009: A Symposium Celebrating Massage in Eldercare and Hospice And are working diligently on Hand in Hand 2012 Compassionate Touch training empowers caregivers to use touch as a powerful tool for non verbal communication ~Naomi Feil, Executive Director, Validation Training Institute We are expanding our training throughout the United States and beyond! If you are interested in hosting a workshop or presentation please contact us for a customized proposal.
About Us Ann Catlin, OTR, LMT is a nationally certified and licensed massage therapist, Compassionate Touch Practitioner and a Registered Occupational Therapist. She is an expert in the field of massage therapy in eldercare and hospice. She brings to her career as a massage therapist thirty years experience as an occupational therapist in long term care and rehabilitation settings, including administrative positions. This experience taught her a great deal about the needs and lives of people living with debilitating conditions. In an effort to make a positive contribution to care settings, she founded, and now directs, the an organization that provides training internationally. A recognized educator and author, Ann has contributed numerous articles to professional publications. She also has created several online courses and produced an instructional DVD called Sensitive Massage: Reclaiming the Human Touch in Caregiving. She is originally from the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas and now lives in Springfield, Missouri where she has a massage practice serving elders in facility care and is a hospice volunteer. Touch brings forth our innate ability to be a healing presence and we discover deeper meaning in our work as caregivers. -Ann Catlin Lisa Curran Parenteau, BA, LMT, is a specialist in marketing and practice development. She serves as marketing consultant for the Center for Compassionate Touch LLC and contributes to curriculum and program development. She also consults with other small and medium sized businesses, non-profit organizations and professional associations. Lisa serves the American Massage Therapy Association as the 3 rd VP, Webmaster and has served as a 2009 MA Delegate to the 2009 national AMTA conference. She was elected to serve on the 2010-2011 National HOD Operations Committee. Lisa also serves the Massage Therapy Foundation as a member of the Community Service Review Committee and is honored to lead the newly formed Marketing Work Group. Prior to becoming a massage therapist she directed sales and marketing in the telecommunications industry. This experience serves as the foundation for the love of creative marketing that she brings to her work. How can we serve you? Contact us! info@compassionate-touch.org 417-844-8514 610 E. University Springfield, MO 65807