About
One problem, two halves
Elevations End of Life is a caregiver support circle, a comfort touch school, and an introduction service, run by one practice. Families are exhausted and frightened of touching the person they love wrongly. Massage therapists trained for the bedside are hard for those families to find. Both halves are fixable, and they fix each other.
Where this came from
This grew out of years of hospice massage practice and teaching: the same conversation at the same bedside, over and over. A daughter asks whether she can rub her mother's feet. The answer is almost always yes, and almost nobody had told her. Ten minutes later she has something to do with her hands, and the room is different.
The classes came first, because therapists asked to learn it. The circle came next, because the families in those rooms had nowhere to put what they were carrying. The hub is the obvious thing: the students finishing training and the families needing them are the same community, and they were not meeting.
What we believe
- Comfort is care. It is not a nice extra once the real medicine is done.
- Families can be taught, quickly, and they should be.
- Support means being heard, not being advised.
- Therapists who work at the end of life need training and somewhere to bring the weight of it.
- Nothing here should cost a caregiver money to access.
The circle and the library
The support group, the how-to videos and the resource library are free and stay free. The continuing education classes are paid, and they are what keeps the rest of it running.
Questions, partnerships, referrals
Hospices, facilities, schools and therapists: if you want to point people here, or bring a class to your team, say hello.
Common questions
Do I have to talk in the support group?
No. Plenty of people come for months and mostly listen. You can keep your camera off and type in the chat instead.
Is the circle only for people whose person is on hospice?
No. Any caregiving counts: dementia, cancer, stroke, frailty, long illness. Many members are nowhere near hospice, and some have already had their loss.
Is any of this therapy or medical advice?
No. The circle is peer support, and the videos and handouts are general comfort care education. Anything specific to your person belongs with their nurse, doctor or hospice team.
I am a massage therapist. Can I join the circle too?
The Wednesday and Sunday circles are for family caregivers. Therapists have their own peer sessions through the hub, and the CE classes are where the professional learning happens.
Do your CE hours count toward my license renewal?
Requirements vary by state and by board. Each class page lists its hours and format, and we will confirm exactly how it reports before you enrol.
What does it cost to hire a therapist through the hub?
You and the therapist agree that directly. Rates vary by region and some students offer reduced-cost visits while they build hours. The hub itself is free to use.