title: Providing tender touch massage to elderly nursing home residents: a demonstration project.
abstract: This 1-year demonstration project looked at the effects of gentle massage on two groups of elderly nursing home residents: those suffering from chronic pain and those with dementia who were exhibiting anxious or agitated behaviors. The certified nursing attendants were trained by a licensed massage therapist. The project was divided into three 12-week phases; different staff and residents were involved in each phase. Fifty-nine of 71 residents completed the 12-week program. Pain scores declined at the end of each phase, and anxiety scores declined in two of the three phases. Eighty-four percent of the nursing attendants reported that the residents enjoyed receiving tender touch, and 71% thought this type of massage improved their ability to communicate with the residents.
authors.affiliation: Schervier Nursing Care Center, Bronx, N.Y., USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sansone
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education*; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008405:Massage / Q000193:education*; D009519:New York City; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*