With the support of palliative care and hospice, a growing number of people are choosing the kinds of experiences they want at the end of life. Massage can offer moments of comfort, wellbeing and beauty at a challenging time for patients and their loved ones. Yet most of us are not prepared with the right skills or knowledge to offer this help. Palliative Touch: Massage for People at the End of Life is written for healthcare providers and complementary therapists, including massage therapists, energy workers, aromatherapists, nurses, home health aides, end-of-life doulas and others who wish to provide safe, comforting touch for people with life-limiting illness. Based on more than two decades of field and inpatient hospice experience, this book addresses the following topics: Basic knowledge and skills such as entering and preparing the space, safety precautions, supportive positioning for massage in the home or hospital, best lubricants for distressed skin, how much pressure to use for a variety of scenarios Stages of dying, from early decline through the last breath Twenty-five common symptoms at the end of life, with ideas to address each Clinical information regarding common diagnoses, medications, equipment, procedures and devices Cultural issues and how these can impact end-of-life care Readers are guided to engage with the material at whatever level might be appropriate for their needs, with practical tips in every chapter. Beautiful color photographs, actual case studies and stories from therapists, caregivers and patients bring the information to life by connecting it to real people. Palliative Touch is intended for anyone who might wish to support a dying client or loved one to feel better so that life can be lived to the fullest, right up until the end.
Cindy Spence began her healthcare career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Guatemala, returning to the US to complete a master's degree in public health at the University of North Carolina. She has been a massage therapist specializing in palliative care since 1999, after her father-in-law's dying wish for gentle touch inspired her to attend massage school. Since that time Cindy has completed over 6000 hospice massages for people with advanced and terminal illness. These sessions have occurred in home environments, skilled nursing facilities and inpatient settings across north Texas. She works at a Hospice Inpatient Center in Dallas. With her teaching partner, Susan Gee, Cindy created and teaches Clinical Skills for End-of-Life Massage, a nationally-certified course for massage therapists and nurses. She contributed a chapter entitled "Sacred Time: Touch at the End of Life" to Hands in Healthcare: Massage Therapy for the Adult Hospital Patient , 2nd edition, by Gayle MacDonald and Carolyn Tague, published by Handspring Publishing. As a pancreatic cancer survivor since 2005, Cindy believes in the power of choice and the pursuit of optimal wellbeing at all phases of life, particularly during advanced illness and the dying process. She has written Palliative Touch as a resource for others who feel called to provide caring presence in the form of skilled touch.
