If you can't get out of the house, I come to you across Citrus County
A lot of people stopped having massage when getting dressed and into a car became the hardest part of the day. These visits ask you to do neither.
Never had a massage? Read this first.
There's no table unless you want one
I work on beds, in recliners, in wheelchairs and in ordinary kitchen chairs. A hospital bed makes my job easier. Side-lying with pillows is often the most comfortable way to do it, and it works as well as a table does.
You do not need to get dressed, or get up, or be ready for company.
This is a regular part of my week
It is a large part of why I work the way I do, and these visits go in the calendar like any other appointment. They get arranged on the phone, so call me and we will sort it out between us.
Consent, and stopping
An adult books their own massage, even when somebody else makes the call. If the person I'm coming to see has a guardian, or a healthcare surrogate, or somebody holding power of attorney, tell me who that is when you call. It is much easier to know that before I am standing in the room.
Consent isn't only what gets agreed at the door. If someone cannot tell me in words that they want to carry on, I take my cue from everything else, because there is plenty else to read: pulling away, tensing up, going quiet, turning the head away. Any of that and I stop, whatever was agreed beforehand. You can stop at any point, for any reason, and you do not have to give me one. That goes for everybody I work on.
One more thing, and you should hear it from me first. If I ever have reason to think a vulnerable adult is being hurt, neglected or taken advantage of, Florida law says I have to report it to the Florida Abuse Hotline. Everybody in my position has to. It almost never comes up, but I would sooner say it up front.
For the person arranging it
Usually the call comes from a daughter, or a son, or an aide, and not from the client. Call me and skip the booking page, because I'll want to know what they can and cannot do, whether there is a hospital bed, whether there is a lift for getting in and out of it, and who will be there.
You're welcome to stay in the room. Always, and you do not have to explain why.
How it goes, for this
The call
Usually not from the client
A daughter, a son, an aide. I will want to know what they can and cannot do, whether there is a hospital bed, and who will be there.
At the house
Nobody has to get ready
No getting dressed, no getting up, no having to look presentable. I work around whatever the day looks like.
After
I fold the table and go
There was no appointment to get to, and there's nothing to recover from on the way home.
Can't get onto a massage table? Pick what you have, and I'll tell you how it works.
I can get on a massage table
Then that's what we'll use. At the studio it is set up and ready before you walk in. At home, for my regulars, it goes up and comes down again inside the hour, and there's nothing for you to arrange.
Only my own bed
That's fine, and it's common. I work alongside the bed and set the positioning to suit you, with pillows under the knees or side-lying if lying flat is not comfortable. A hospital bed makes my job easier.
My recliner
Good. Neck, shoulders, arms, hands, feet and lower legs all work well in a recliner, and for a lot of people that's where the pain is.
I use a wheelchair
We can work in the chair, or move to a bed or table if you transfer easily and want to. Tell me which on the phone and I'll bring what suits.
A kitchen chair is all I have
That is all I need. I bring a seated setup, you stay fully clothed, and it's the same work through your neck, your shoulders, your back.
I am asking on behalf of someone else
Call me and skip the booking page, because I'll want to know what they can and can't do, whether there is a hospital bed, and who will be there. If they have a guardian, a healthcare surrogate or a power of attorney, tell me who holds it. You're welcome to stay in the room the whole time.
If you're still not sure, call me and describe the room. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
Questions
What if my mother can't tell you where it hurts?
Then we go slowly and I watch her face. Tell me what you know about her, what she likes, what she doesn't, and what a bad day looks like. That is usually enough for me to work well.
Can you come to a care facility?
Usually yes, with the facility's permission. Some of them have their own rules about outside practitioners, so call me before you arrange anything and we'll find out what theirs are.
Do you charge more to come to us?
In-home visits are $125 for an hour and $149 for ninety minutes, and the figure can move depending on where you are. Tell me the address when you call and I will give you the number before anything is booked. I cover every part of Citrus County, but some of it is a long way from the rest, and you should hear that from me at the start.