A promisingnew career

for those who want to empower seniorsto thrive in their golden yearswellnessinhand.org

seniors wellnesspractitioner

“To empower seniors and support them to live a life of quality and meaning is a noble purpose.”

WHAT IS A seniors wellness practitioner?

A Senior Wellness Practitioner is a veryspecial person.

Seniors Wellness Practitioners are specially trained to work with individual seniors to help them develop and implement a lifestyle strategy that is customized to their unique needs and circumstances. The goals oof each person may vary, but they generally cover:

• Helping seniors to remain independent – with confidence.

• Being active and healthy to delay or prevent common senior health conditions.

• Supporting the senior to transcend chronic health conditions and implement activities that will enhance their quality of life and build self-esteem. Helping to empower them.

800.792.0452

2

Through effective communication and coaching skills - and a thorough understanding and appreciation of what it’s like to live with certain chronic health conditions, the Seniors Wellness Practitioner formsa comprehensive picture of what makes each client unique. No two seniors are exactly alike and it’s the abilitability to relate to the senior as a unique individual that is the basis of a successful coaching relationship.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” – Chinese Proverb

The key dynamic that takes place between a Seniors Wellness Practitioner and their senior client is that the coach is there to coach and support – not “do” for the client. It’s critical that the client take the steps that have been agreed upon – by themselves.

There are 2 reasons for this:

Senior Senior’s self-esteem grows when they do things for themselves and they experience small and big successes. That inner satisfaction is denied when someone else is doing everything for them and it creates an unhealthy dependency relationship. It’s also about empowering the senior to recognize that there are things they can do to improve the meaning and quality of their own lives.

In spite of all the care and support seniors get on an ongoing basis, it only represents about 10% of their time. That means that seniors have to exist on their own for 90% of the time, so it’s better that they maintain the confidence and ability to do things for themselves.

2

1

3wellnessinhand.org

“Massage satisfies an inner need and connects people to themselves and the world around them.”

Compassionate touch is a fundamental need for human beings – and seniors specifically. Many seniors lack compassionate touch due to a spouse passing on, family being at a distance, or no familyand friends at all.

Safe and respectful massage touch satisfiesan internal needan internal need and helps seniors feel connected with the world around them. The regular massage helps with ongoing wellness needs such as improving circulation, coping with chronic pain and enhancing their balance and stability. It also establishes a level of trust and confidence between the Seniors Wellness Practitioner and their client; and it’s from this ffoundation that the Seniors Wellness Practitionerrelationship is initiated.

The foundation service of aSeniors Wellness Practitioneris aportable chair massageservice that’s brought to thesenior client each week.

800.792.0452

4

“Our current “acute care” healthcare system is unsustainable. We must make the shift to “wellness and prevention.”

WHY IS THERE A DEMAND FOR

seniors wellness services?

too expensive; and with the enormous population of Baby Boom seniors coming up, it’s financially unsustainable. As a result, Provinces have no choice but to shift to a “wellness and prevention model”of health care.

Another negative of our “acute care” system is that itthat it treats seniors as their disease first, and as an individual second. The senior is defined by their disease or chronic condition and the limitations that go along with it. A dependency relationship is created where the senior is told what they can and can’t do, because someone in authority has told them their best likely outcome. This is both disempdisempowering and disrespectful. No wonder depression and anxiety affects a high percentageof seniors!

To understand the current and growing demand for Seniors Wellness services, it’s best to look at the state of the current health care system – how it deals with seniors and then add in the fundamental changes that are occurring due to the Baby Boom generation entering their retirement years.

OOur current healthcare system is based on an “acute care model”. Delivered through a hospital network, our healthcare system is designed to deal with traumatic injury and short term disease processes. This is ideal for dealing with victims of serious car crashes and people experiencing heart attacks. We want our medical personnel to be well-trained and able to dealdeal with these acute crises in a timely and effective manner.

When it comes to dealing with the general health care needs of seniors, we move away from an “acute care focus” to a “chronic care focus” and our current system is not set up to deal with this. It’s

5wellnessinhand.org

“The Baby Boomers are here and they are changing everything!”

One of the special things that a Seniors Wellnesssession gives the client is “quality time” and the respect to be recognized as an individual human being.

Generally speaking, our society doesn’t have time for seniors and the health care system is but one eexample. Well-meaning health care providers are forced to deliver services in 15 minute increments and then move on to the next patient.

There is good news though... and now we welcome the Baby Boom Seniors!

Canadians born between 1946 and 1965 represent the Baby Boom Generation – the largest population group in Canadian historin Canadian history.

This population group dwarfs the size of the current generation of seniors and they also have vastly different expectations and beliefs about their retirement years than those of their parents. They also control the largest block of purchasing power in the country. This means the Baby Boomers will have an enormous impact on futuenormous impact on future buying trends.

The Baby Boomers, unlike their parents, understand and appreciate the benefits of health and wellness.

Many have already incorporated massage and other wellness services into their lives and they will continue to do so throughout their retirement years. ThThey also have very high expectations for the “quality” of their retirement years. They won’t be satisfied living out their years in a nursing home. They’re also skeptical of a healthcare system that only promotes pharmaceuticals as the best way to deal with chronic health conditions.

800.792.0452

6

“The Baby Boomers want to live as healthy and active a retirement lifestyle as possible.” The power of the internet has created a new generation that is willing to spend the time educating themselves on ways to live a healthy and vibrant retirement lifestyle.

They are also much more open to incorporating a comprehensive approach to their own healthcare. The BaThe Baby Boomers will be aggressively seeking out and purchasing products and services that will legitimately support them to live the most active and healthy retirement lifestyle possible.

The purchasing power effect of the Baby Boomers can not be overstated - it’s enormous and very powerful.

IIt’s effect will be felt in a number of areas - and in particular, retirement housing and wellness products and services.

At this point in time, we are working predominantly with the parents of the Baby Boomers. This current generation of seniors are active users of our senior wellness massage service and they value the supportsupport that senior wellness services give them. In many cases, it’s the Baby Boom son or daughter that encourages their parent(s) to incorporate senior wellness into their lives.

As we move through this transition period, we will begin to work more and more with the Baby Boomers themselves. When that happens the floodgates floodgates of demand will open up!

7wellnessinhand.org

“Seniors Wellness Practitioners must adhere to the highest standards.”

In order to become a nationally recognized Seniors Wellness Practitioner, individuals are required to complete a certification training program recognized by the Senior Wellness Alliance of Canada.

seniorwellnessalliance.org

This is a national organization with the stated purpose of establishing and maintaining certification and compliance standards for Seniors Wellness Practitionersin Canada. It also provides seniors and their families with access to the most current information and research on senior wellness and it brings together thought leaders and industrthought leaders and industry partners with the common aim of educating and promoting thebenefits of senior wellness to the Canadian public.

800.792.0452

8

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A

seniors wellness practitioner?

WHAT DOES THE

seniors wellnesspractitioner

PROGRAM INCLUDE?

“Seniors Wellness Practitioners learn to see their clients as unique, complex individuals.”

9wellnessinhand.org

Here is a list of some of the subject areas that are

taught in Seniors Wellness Practitioner Certification Programs:

• Chair Massage Certification Module• Understanding what it’s like to live with chronic health conditions such as: diabetes, dementia, arthritis, congestive heart condition, high blood pressure, depression and anxiety, post-stroke and chronic pain.

• Understanding Elder Abuse• Understanding Death & Grieving• Effective Seniors Communication Skills • Effective Seniors Wellness Coaching Skills • • Facilitating Reminiscence Activities• Comprehensive awareness of available senior programs and complementary senior care services in the community

• Developing a network of expert and practitioners

CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

“Working with Seniors is the fastest growing area in health & wellness.”

Seniors Wellness Practitioners work in many settings.

You will find them working with seniors in retirement communities – at all levels of care, in senior activity centers, and in senior’s private residences – houses, condos and apartments. The key to the service is the mobility to provide the service wherever seniors are most most comfortable.

Most Seniors Wellness services are based on a minimum of one session per week, on the same day each week – for 1 to 1.5 hours per client. This includes the time set aside for the chair massage session and practicing time. The standard rate is $80/hour invoiced to the client – one month in advanadvance. For clients who would like more sessions per week a preferred hourly rate can be given.

There are two main employmentoptions for practitioners:

• work for themselves OR• work for a company that will provide them with clients.

ThoseThose who work for themselves will make the full hourly revenue, less expenses to run and market their business. Those who would prefer to work as a coach employee will be looking at an hourly rate of $40 and their clients will be provided for them over time.

800.792.0452

10

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A

seniors wellnesspractitioner

11wellnessinhand.org

WHO IS BEST SUITED TO BE A

seniors wellnesspractitioner?

“It feels good to know you’re making a difference.”

Here is a list of qualities that make a great

Seniors Wellness Practitioner:

• Have a compassionate nature• Be good listener• Be a good problem solver• Be a friendly person who likes to communicate with people

• Be someone who values the benefits of massage and wellness and enjoys interacting with people at the level of compassionate touch.

• Be able to look beyond an obvious health condition and see the “whole” person – their personality, character, beliefs, interests, temperament, likes/dislikes, their history and their dreams.

• Be someone who believes it’s better to empower someone with effective tools and structure than automatically doing everything for them.

• • Be someone who believes we can do a better job for seniors and help them transcend their health conditions and other challenges – and watch them thrive.

GREAT QUALITIES

“Quality,One-on-One time.”

For many healthcare providers, they were attracted to the industry with the desire to care for others and share their compassionate personalities. They quickly found out that the healthcare industry doesn’t always afford them the “quality time” they would like to spend with each person.

MMany providers are required to work with 20 to 25 seniors and they have to complete their duties in a specified time. This race to the clock creates a stressful work environment and prevents the personal time they would like with their clients.

Becoming a Seniors Wellness Practitioner is about ccreating a work environment with “quality time” with each client. This is a chance for healthcare providers to re-kindle the passion they started with.

800.792.0452

FOR THOSE CURRENTLY IN THE

healthcare profession

12

13wellnessinhand.org

conclusion “Becoming a Seniors Wellness Practitioner is about making a living while making a difference.”

We are in the beginning of a wonderful shift in how we engage and interact with our senior population.

The days of defining seniors by their health conditions is now giving way to a different model that values seniors as unique individuals who happenwho happen to live with certain health conditions. It is also about recognizing seniors for the valued members of our society they are and encouraging them to share their gifts and stay connected with their communities.

Becoming a Seniors Wellness Practitioneris about making a living making a difference.

WWe recognize that each senior is a unique human being – and with proper coaching and support we can help seniors recognize their own value and help them improve their quality of life till the end of their days!

If you would like further information on

becoming a Seniors Wellness Practitioner,

visit www.wellnessinhand.organd call 1-800-792-0452.