Approximately five million Americans receive home health care services annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s National Health Statistics Reports’s “Characteristics and Use of Home Health Care by Men and Women Aged 65 and Over,” 13% have osteoarthritis or allied disorders. That’s just one group of disorders where chronic pain is a symptom. Thankfully, we are seeing an increase of Reiki and home health care agencies bringing in complementary medicine practitioners.
Demand Is Rising | Reiki in Home Health Care
Scientific research continues to bear fruit in the understanding of the effectiveness of Reiki and other complementary medicines, much of that funding coming from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In “Energy healing: a complementary treatment for orthopaedic and other conditions,” it notes that beneficial outcomes have been shown in studies ranging from “wound healing (Grad, 1965) and advanced AIDS (Sicher, Targ, Moore, & Smith, 1998), and positive results for pain and anxiety (Aetna IntelliHealth, 2003a; Wardell, Weymouth, 2004), among others (Gallob, 2003). It is also suggested that [energy healing] may have positive effects on various orthopaedic conditions, including fracture healing, arthritis, and muscle and connective tissue (Prestwood, 2003).” It is also noted that the risk is at or near zero to have Reiki or other energy healing practices performed so it can be applied in a wide array of medical conditions.
It’s with this perspective in mind, that home health care agencies have taken a hint from clinical and hospital care and are starting to adopt the use of Reiki in its home health care services.
The Goal Is Healing the Whole Being | Reiki in Home Health Care
Different than the goal of allopathic medicine, which is to cure the disease of the body, complementary medicines are designed to heal the mind, body, emotions and spirit of the patient. Since they work together (hence the complementary), Reiki is a perfect companion for seniors and others in home health care settings, who may need well-being management alongside their traditional medical care.
Home health care, funded through the Medicare program, provides short clinically-necessary services. Medicare home health services are less costly than other facility-based care and often individuals prefer to remain in the comfort of their own home. “Home care” services are usually associated with privately paid or Medicaid services that allow for someone to help with light housekeeping, meal preparation, light chores and more to also help individuals remain comfortably in their own homes.
There are some potential negatives to being home. Home-based services means the loss of privacy, less independence as one relies more and more on others for activities of daily living (such as washing/bathing, getting dressed, meals, and more), and greater isolation from spending time at home and not out in the community. This is not the case for all home health care scenarios, but a sizable percentage experiences many if not all of these issues. With this in mind, shouldn’t we challenge our healthcare system, to also include approaches that support the whole person – body, mind, emotions and spirit? With Reiki, patients report increased relaxation and peace, reduced stress, and lessened chronic pain. These all add up to a greater sense of well-being, and better overall healthcare!
Finding a Reiki Master | Reiki in Home Health Care
If you are interested in finding a Reiki Master to help your home health care agency, here are the resources you need at your fingertips.. If you’re in the Alexandria, Virginia / Metropolitan Washington DC area, touch base with Four Directions Wellness and if we can’t help you, we’ll put you in touch with someone who can provide Reiki services for your patients.
If you’re outside of our area, you can find a qualified reiki practitioner here.
Home Health Workforce Considerations
It is also important to note that several studies have suggested that clinicians have had reduced stress when they receive or are taught Reiki self-care. Home health and home care employers may wish to consider increasing their employee retention rate by offering Reiki training and services for their employees. If we are committed to good healthcare, then supporting our employees may be the first place to begin!
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The future of Reiki in home health care is bright. As more research confirms the efficacy of Reiki and the collective healing modalities that make up complementary medicine, the more hospital, healthcare organizations and home health care will adopt the practices that help alleviate pain and suffering of patients. And offer stress reduction to their staff too!
Has your home health care agency offered Reiki? What was your experience? Let us know about your Reiki experiences in the comments.