Hospice
Hospice & End-of-Life Care
Gentle Bodywork for End-of-Life Transitions
Enhancing comfort and wellbeing through safe, gentle, and intentional touch during life's most sacred transition. This undivided one-on-one attention fosters a powerful sense of connection and validation for those nearing the end of life.
Available Through Providence Hospice of the Gorge
Massage services are available to all Providence Hospice patients by referral at no cost to the patient or family. I provide outcall sessions throughout the Columbia River Gorge region, bringing compassionate care directly to your home.
How to Get Started
Ask your hospice nurse for a referral - they can arrange everything for you. Once approved, I'll contact you directly to schedule your first appointment. Initial referrals typically cover four sessions, with visits occurring biweekly on a mutually agreed day and time.
Sessions can be scheduled more frequently based on patient needs and availability. Additional referrals will be submitted by the therapist as needed.
What Happens During Treatment
Tailored to Your Needs: I consult with you, your loved ones, and the medical team to understand specific areas of discomfort, contraindications, and preferences. You remain in complete control of each session.
Gentle Techniques: Using light, soothing strokes with unscented organic oils to calm the nervous system and relieve tension. Patients enjoy gentle, sustained holds in specific areas, to support deep relaxation and overall comfort.
Your Comfort First: Most patients remain clothed or lightly draped, ensuring dignity throughout. Sessions typically happen in your own bed or favorite chair, though a portable massage table is available if preferred and requested ahead of time.
Compassionate Connection: I work to understand your physical and emotional state, advocating for your needs alongside caregivers and the medical team.
Techniques I Use
Craniosacral Therapy: Gentle, hands-on approach that releases tensions deep in the body. Often performed over clothing with very little movement, supporting profound relaxation.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage: Light rhythmic technique to encourage healthy lymphatic flow, helping remove toxins and potentially relieving swelling and discomfort.
Swedish Massage: Soothing, gliding strokes with skin-nourishing oils that calm the nervous system and release muscular tensions.
Focused Touch: Gentle work on forearms, hands, and feet, plus light touch along the clothed body.
Potential Benefits
Reduction of anxiety, fear, and depression
Relief from muscle pain, joint stiffness, and nerve pain
Management of fatigue, nausea, and insomnia
Emotional comfort and one-on-one connection
Support for physiological functions including nervous system regulation
Platform for emotional expression and storytelling
Serving the Columbia River Gorge
As a licensed massage therapist in both Oregon and Washington, I provide hospice massage throughout the region, bringing gentle presence and skilled touch to each home I visit.
The work invokes everything I've learned about presence, acceptance, and the sacred nature of transition. I bring heart-centered attention to this tender time of final passage.
Ready to Begin?
Speak with your Providence hospice nurse today about adding massage therapy to your care plan. This gentle support is available at no charge and can bring significant comfort to your loved one, even in the final days and moments.
Contact your hospice nurse for referral