This is my job (Aromatherapy/Reflexology in LTC facilities),
so I have some information that may help you. I work
primarily in nursing homes, so there may be some differences
between those and assisted living.

1. It is unlikely that the facility will allow you to work with their
residents unless you have been certified. (In my state is is illegal
to offer this type of service for money unless you are certified, so
you should check this out.) It is even less likely that they will
permit you to solicit family members. Contact the Recreation
Therapy Director or the social worker to find out how best to get
your foot in the door. Since your mother lives there, they are
already familiar with you and what you do for her; so that will help
a lot. Generally (at least in my state), the Recreation Department
will hire you on an hourly basis, and they will direct you to the
people most in need of your services.

2. Funding for each department usually depends on the census
(how many people currently live there).They will offer hours or
reduce them based on their current census/budget.

3. You will have to explain your protocol, i.e. exactly what you do
and the expected response; and, since Reflexlogy is not very
well known, you may have to demonstrate on someone.

4. I charge $55 per hour and offer a $5 per hour discount if a
facility gives me two or more hours successively. The
metropolitan area where I work will generally support $60 for
individual sessions; however, medical facilities have low
budgets.

5. In the hospital where I have been given several hours,
they are very amenable to complementary therapies; but
we are nonetheless offered through the Recreation Therapy Dept.

Hope this helps.

Jeanne

On 8/2/08, Ruth Rowell <ruthrowell@...> wrote:
>
> Hello. Advice please on two questions/situations? Question #1: I'm
> putting together some information for the assisted living center
> where my mother lives to see if they will let me offer my services to
> residents of the memory care unit if families desire. Residents
> have a range of memory loss from full dementia, Alzheimer's, to short
> term memory loss, etc. My main stumbling block is what rates
> are appropriate. What rate ranges are appropriate for an affluent suburb
> of a major American city? I have noted below some important factors.
> Question #2: I really feel that offering reflexology (and
> aromatherapy with reiki) is a calling for me and am thusly having
> difficulties in setting a rate and sticking with it. Most often, I let
> my empathy for the person and their situation prevent me from
> asking/taking more than ask for $40; often, I donate my time even when
> it is inconvenient for me to travel to that person's home. I've been
> told that this undermines others' attempts to establish reflexology as
> a legitimate profession and lowers my services' perceived value. I do
> not yet have ARCB training but I have been repeatedly been told I "have
> a natural gift" with my hands. Any tips on moving my outlook to a more
> professional viewpoint and more easily setting a rate plan and sticking
> to it? I will say that because I earn less than $14000/year with my
> day job that this colors my value-system! Until recently I've mostly
> done "shares" and freebies as I can't seem to put a value on my
> services that is fair to both me and the receiver AND stick to it.
> Factors for #1: 1) I'm taking into consideration include the already
> considerable expense to families in order to have a parent at a good
> facility. 2) If other residents are anything like my mother, sessions
> will last an average of 30 minutes, sometimes tolerated only 15 and as
> much as 45. 3) Some people physically could only have hand reflexology
> with others being more suited to foot reflexology. 4) The facility is
> on the small size and is in a very affluent area. Monthly care runs
> $4000-6000 a month per person. 5) Spa reflexology in the area is $85 -
> $115 per session with massage massage is $60 - 110 / hour. 6) My
> massage teacher charges $55-60 if you come to her school in an
> industrial/shopping area. 7) I would be taking everything with me
> (stool, massage table, oils, music, etc) and hopefully setting up in a
> quiet common area. If I had to break down and move room to room I'd
> definitely want to charge for the extra 15 mins to do so for each
> resident. 8) My goal is to expand this offering to other care facilities
> if successful and cut back to three days a week with my "day" job and do
> this three days a week. Thanks so much!
> Ruth R. Marietta, GA Ruthology, Inc.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>



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May the blessings be!


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