EZES PLACE
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EZES PLACE
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71 Selhurst Road, SE25 5QB England Phone: (00 44) 020 8664 8993 Email: mail@ezesplace.co.uk |
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AROMATHERAPY AND MASSAGE FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES.The best place for all of us to thrive, learn and develop is in an environment where each of us is respected as a person with individual physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual traits and needs. Aromatherapy and massage can touch and connect each of those parts and can also help to create a supportive, positive and stimulating environment in which the particular need of each individual may be met. Aromatherapy and massage can be used to relax, invigorate and improve the health of people who have learning disabilities. Interactive massage emphasises the way in which massage can help to develop communication, trust and interaction in a non - verbal and non - threatening way, enabling individuals to become more aware of other people as well as themselves. In interactive massage the person is encouraged to respond and participate.Multisensory massage can be either passive or interactive in nature, with the emphasis being on increasing the person's awareness of the environment through tactile and offactory stimulation using different textures and smells within massage. The information which we receive from our senses is vital to enable us to understand our environment. Due to sensory impairment or lack of opportunity people who have more severe and profound learning disabilities are often unable to gather, interpret and respond to sensory information. Aromatherapy and massage can enable people to become more aware and appreciative of their senses of touch and smell. Touch is a basic behavioural need in much the same way as breathing is a basic physical need .When the need for touch remains unsatisfied abnormal behaviour will result. The absence of touch has profound effects on health and behaviour, it contributes to some of the challenging behaviour exhibited by some people with learning disabilities .Self- stimulatory behaviours may be a result of insufficient tactile stimulation, rocking behaviour, for example, represents a kind of self comfort, which is also seen in children who are neglected and people who are grieving and mourning. The normal pleasures of touching and being touched for its own sake are not readily available to those of us with learning disabilities. Consequently they may seek a more accessible tactile stimuli, which may include head banging and other forms of self stimulation, body rocking, frequent masturbation and physical aggression. People with learning disabilities may learn to associate physical contact with another person with unpleasant or perfunctory experiences and become tactile defensive, rejecting contact out of hand. Massage is an appropriate means of expressing trust and caring through touch especially for those with learning disabilities. For those who have severe or profound learning disabilities and particularly those who have dual sensory impairment, touch, may be the clearest way that people have to understand the world, communicating their needs and receiving information from the people around them. At Eze's Place where people with learning disabilities will be learning new skills, taking risks and developing independence, their perception of themselves as able, valued and developing people is crucial. That self worth will only grow if the support worker is able to transmit genuine feelings of encouragement, respect and even excitement about the development of that person. Our touch therefore should be facilitate not forceful, respectful not abusive and receptive to the person not manipulative. A person who trusts feels safe and reassured will learn more readily than one who is frightened, detached and unresponsive. By taking time to consider the quality of touch we give, we can affect not only the quality of our relationship with people we support but also the quality of their lives. Massage is an appropriate and valued way of incorporating touch into a person's life either at home or in a learning environment. Ezes's Place will offer training in aromatherapy massage to local women who will then use this skill to develop their relationship with our day service users and our residents.Proffessionals currently working in this field will visit Eze's Place and teach those who want to learn how to effectively massage people with learning disabilities and what oils to use and how to use them. Part of any charitable funds received will go towards manifesting this scheme. |